


The Roll Of Thunder

by DarkCherry91



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-04
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-06-06 08:23:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 33
Words: 70,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6746533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkCherry91/pseuds/DarkCherry91
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Frigga's and Loki's deaths, Thor struggles with his grief and blames himself for the loss. Barely able to manage his emotions, the god helps the other heros on Earth so that he can stay away from Asgard - a place which only reminds him of his pain.<br/>When the team acquires a golden sphere from a mission, however, Thor is forced to deal with his past. She has black hair, pale skin and a pair of emerald eyes which haunt the god in his dreams. Could she be Loki?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The golden mystery

With a clank, Thor put his mighty hammer down beside his seat and walked over to the elongated box on the other side of the jet. A familiar blue light emitted from the box and Thor observed it's valuable content closely. Made of pure gold and a vibranium core, adorned with fine engravings and a sharp blade at it's end, crowned by the glistening blue stone embedded between, his brother's scepter lay proudly before him. _Loki_... Thor pondered over the past and his heart grew heavy at the thought of his brother and all that had happened between them, all the pain the Trickster had caused him and others. Many matters were left unspoken between them and Thor often thought about what he would like to tell his brother if they met once more. But Loki was dead.

It had been a year since the fight against Malekith and his scum but whole New York was still recovering, most of the citizens trying to forget the horrors of the battle. Thor however could never forget how he held his dying brother in his arms, on the yellow dusty earth or Svartalfheim. And the scepter just reminded him of the fallen prince – his brother – who died a hero.

***

Smoothly the jet landed on the platform of Stark Tower and the hatch opened while Steve turned off the engine. Another important mission was complete, the dangerous scepter under the Avenger's custody and out of Hydra's hands, much to everyone's relief. Carefully, Thor grabbed the box while Steve carried some other artifacts they had seized from the Hydra base and they exited the jet. "Good job everyone!" Steve cheered when they entered the living room of the new built top of the tower and Tony walked straight towards the bar. "Yes, let's celebrate it with a drink or two!" "Where shall I put this, Anthony?" Thor asked in a stern voice, did he not share the joy of his friends and Tony frowned silently at being called so formally by the god. "Oh yeah, best we bring all of the artifacts over into my lab for some testing. I'll come with you!" he replied and washed the rest of his drink down.

“So how long are you planning to stay?” Tony asked casually when they were alone in his lab, knowing that the god will take the weapon with him to Asgard. “Do not fret, you shall have enough time to study the powers of the scepter as I shall dwell some more on Midgard. There is little that wiles me to return to Asgard.” Thor replied and Tony could tell that the big blonde had still some trouble dealing with his grief, had he not only lost his brother but his mother too.  
“Great. I'm curious as to what Bruce and I are going to tease out of that thing!” Tony cheered, eager to lay hands on the golden weapon. “So what are your plans for the weekend? Going to visit Jane?” the scientist added while attaching some wires and sensors to the scepter. Thor hesitated to answer.  
“No...I don't think so...” he finally said, attracting part of Tony's attention.  
“Sounds like there is trouble in paradise? I told you, wearing mother's drapes isn't en vogue any more.”  
Again the Thunderer didn't respond at once. “I fear she loves her science more than me and with each day we grow apart further. … “ Thor's face was stern as he looked outside the window but at nothing in particular. He loved Jane and admired her intelligence but the flame that burnt inside him when they met was dying out slowly. Tony had not a clue what to respond, had he always avoided such situations.  
“I shall retire for tonight. Good night, my friend.” Thor added and left the scientist alone, seeking the solitude of his room.

  
***

 

Tony had worked for three hours now but he still did not feel tired at all as he was too excited to discover the powers and secrets of the scepter. Bruce had joined him two hours ago and together they run several tests and analyzed the weapon from every possible angle. They were “science-bros”, as Natasha called them justifiably.  
“Hey, Tony, what's with that golden sphere over here?” Bruce asked all of a sudden and eyed the large metal ball – it's diameter were approximately four feet – in front of him while Tony walked over. “I found it near the scepter but I have no idea what it is.” Tony replied and they both shared a wicked grin. “Then let's find out!”  
  
Although they worked for another two hours, the mysterious golden ball kept them busy even the entire next day but no test would reveal it's secret or any relevant information at all.  
“Still playing with that over-sized football?” Natasha joked at dinner while Clint chuckled at the moody scientists. “It's definitely no football from what we do know.” Tony quipped and stabbed the steak on his plate with the fork harshly. “We've run every possible test and tried to open it but all in vain. We know it's most likely hollow inside and the shell is of vanadium and gold on top, preventing us to get through.” Bruce explained and looked hopefully to Thor when he added: “And you don't recognize it?” The blonde shook his head. “I have never laid eyes upon something like that. Maybe it is from another world but with only so little information it is hard to tell.”  
Bruce nodded and returned to the food on his plate, as did the rest of the team. Dinner continued in silence until it was interrupted by the familiar voice of the friendly AI.  
“Excuse me, Sir, but my sensors report some stirring from the sphere.”  
“Thanks Jarvis!” Tony said and jumped off his stool to head towards the lab, followed by his friends.

 

Inside the dim-lit lab, the golden ball was not on the large table where they had left it before. Instead it was floating freely in the middle of the room, surrounded by the tables and screens, the wires that had been attached all strewn around the floor.

“That's interesting...” Tony muttered as he stepped closer to the ball. “Be careful.” Bruce said from behind but of course that did not stop a Stark. Slowly he reached forward to touch the slightly glowing ball and upon contact, Tony was surprised even more. “It's warm.”  
“What? But it was ice-cold before dinner.” Bruce assessed and stepped closer too, readjusting his glasses as he eyed the ball suspiciously.  
_I'm gonna_ _crack_ _you eventually..._ Tony thought, determined to run a few more tests.

 

***

  
After a long shower, Thor sat alone on the bed in his darkened room and stared once more outside the window, the thousands of tiny lights from the buildings illuminating the night sky. Midgard and the Stark Tower had become his second home and Thor did not regret his decision to decline his right to the throne. But what kept his mind restless was the fact that he had probably lost Jane to her work in exchange for his adventures with the Avengers. He couldn't blame her since they rarely saw each other but it pained him to admit that he had no true companion, no love in his life anymore. With his mother and brother dead, there was only his father left but they had never shared a loving bond. Of course there were plenty of pretty (and willing) women on Midgard, more enough to satisfy his every desire but Thor didn't make use of them. At least for now, his grieving heart was still smothering such needs. He was truly glad that they had secured the scepter but he was tired of the fighting, his whole body drained by the last weeks efforts and thus he put the phone which he held in his large hand back onto the nightstand. _No, I don't want to see Jane this weekend..._ _or any other day,_ he thought and lay down, hoping that sleep would ease his tormented mind.

 

***

  
  
It was long after midnight when the AI woke the Thunderer from his slumber, informing him that his presence was requested in the lab. From the alarmed tone of Jarvis voice, Thor knew something was amiss and thus he quickly summoned Mjolnir into his hand, the splendid Asgardian armor appearing just upon contact with the hammer's hilt, and hurried towards the lab. “What's going on?” Steve called as he followed the Aesir but it was Natasha who answered him, running behind them. “I suppose Tony screwed it up!”  
  
Inside the lab, the lights were out and only the golden glow from the sphere illuminated the room. Bruce frantically typed something on the computer while Tony just got up from the floor in front of the sphere, wearing his right iron-man arm.  
“Tony, what happened?!” Steve yelled when the rest of the Avengers exited the elevator.  
“Maybe it's a bomb. We tried to drill it out but some sort of defensive mechanism fired back.” Bruce explained, hiding some more behind the table while Tony was about to try again. “Full power, Jarvis.” “Yes, Sir.”

“WHAT?!” Natasha and Clint said in unison. “Tony stop that!!” Steve yelled and walked over to drag him away from the perceived danger. “If it's a bomb you will kill us all!”  
“Oh, don't be so dramatic, Cap!” Tony retorted but had no chance when he was seized and carried away from the golden sphere. "Hey! Get me down, you groper!"  
“Can you disarm it?” Clint asked when he was at Bruce's side but the scientist only shook his head. “We have no idea how that thing works.”  
“Then we should get it out of here.” Steve suggested while he held Tony in place, denying him to get one step closer to the sphere. “Sorry, pal, the damned thing won't move an inch. We've tried.” Tony said and yanked himself free from the Captain's hold.

“Maybe it has some sort of connection to the scepter. It could be a secret weapon that Loki brought to earth when-” Bruce began but was interrupted by Thor abruptly. “You think this is another of my brother's schemes?”  
Thor was furious, had he wished never to speak ill of his sibling but that hope was destroyed by that damned golden ball. Admittedly, Thor wouldn't be surprised that his brother hid another deadly weapon for his conquer of Midgard and as he stepped closer to the sphere he realized that some of the engravings were an old dialect of Asgardian. His face became blank as his hurt turned into wild rage, storming inside him.  
“Thor? What are you doing?” Natasha asked cautiously, had she sensed the chance of the god's mood and expression.  
“I recognize some of the engravings although I can not grasp their meaning. Nevertheless, weapon or bomb, it must be destroyed and I shall see to it now.” Thor replied sternly, his voice rumbling low in his chest and he lifted Mjolnir above his head, lightning surrounding the hammer's head instantly.  
“Thor no!” Tony yelled and Steve just caught him in time to stop him from getting too close. “No, don't! THOR!” But it was too late, his last words never reaching the god's ears as he brought the hammer down with one vigorous blow and unleashing a bolt of lightning upon the sphere. The whole lab was illuminated, the white light of the bolt glaring the others so that they had to avert their gaze and cover their eyes for protection. The gold and vibranium began to glow, first orange then red, as the energy washed over the metal ball and Thor continued for another few seconds before he withdrew his hammer. He watched the ball's color changed back to normal and the surface smoking slightly but not damaged – much to his dissatisfaction.  
“Are you insane?! You could have get us all killed!” Tony yelled once he dared to open his eyes again. “So it's not a bomb...” Bruce assessed and readjusted his glasses.  
“Maybe if Thor and I try together -”  
“NO, Tony!” Steve and Natasha yelled at Tony who held up his arms in defense. “Just an idea..relax!”  
The Avengers started quarreling about what to do with the mysterious ball since it couldn't be moved nor opened, their voices drowning out the clicking sound coming from the sphere.  
“Sir, the surface of the sphere is moving, apparently it's opening up.” Jarvis informed them and they all turned in surprise to have a look, forgetting about their arguing.

 

The ball glowed once more and lowered itself down onto the ground. The golden surface peeled off like the petals of a rose opening for it to bloom, one by one and from the inside, a thick, silver liquid leaked onto the stone floor, forming a puddle around the ball.

“Eeewww...” Tony watched with disgust as his floor was spoiled but he fell silent when he saw that something else was inside the ball. And when the sphere was fully opened, the Avengers gasped in astonishment at what revealed itself before their eyes.  
Covered from head to toe in the silver liquid, a female sat on the golden petals, the fluid concealing the details of her naked body. From what they could see, she was quite small and slim, her lovely features accompanied by a sweet nose. Curiosity took them over and the team slowly walked closer to the strange woman. “Not all at once.” Bruce whispered and motioned for the others to stay behind and let him talk to her first. He knew pretty well how to handle wild creatures after all.  
“Hello there...” he said calmly, kneeling down a few feet away from her and watched as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, removing the silver liquid from her face and her shoulder-length black hair. Thor's mind tried frantically to recall some myth or tale from Asgard regarding a woman coming out of a golden ball but in vain. So he just stared at her but griped his hammer tightly, ready to strike if she should try to harm Bruce. It was then, that she opened her eyes the very first time, beholding her surroundings and the creatures in front of her and Thor's jaw almost dropped to the floor. Under thin strands of raven-black slick hair, a stark contras to her pale complexion, emerged a pair of sparkling emerald green orbs.

_Loki?_

 


	2. Thor's struggle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The resemblance of the girl with his brother is undeniable and Thor cannot bear to look at her. But is it just the painful memories or something else her sight evokes inside the god?

_Loki? No, this is impossible. Loki died in my arms over a year ago!_ But the woman in front of him looked very similar to the God of Mischief and Thor furrowed his brows while he tried to make sense of all that, of the chaos in his mind. Maybe it was one of Loki's tricks? One that had survived it's creator, or someone else entirely had set this up to inflict the pain in his chest. This woman, this creature, should not exist, being an abomination in his eyes and above all it reeked of mischief and deceit. Suddenly, Thor's rage was boiling inside him again, stronger than before and in his blind fury he quickly strode forward, the floor vibrating at his heavy footfall.   
“Can you speak?” Bruce asked her but received no answer because when she saw the Thunderer approaching her with large steps, her eyes stayed glued to him and she shrank back in fear. But Thor did not halt despite her reaction and thus she frantically crawled backwards until she hit the metal table at the end of the room. With her knees drawn close to her chest she stared up at the giant of a man looming above her. Thor warily eyed the small shivering form at his feet, how her green eyes showed nothing but horror and fear, the black pupils merely tiny dots, and he was pleased by the sight. _Yes, fear me as I am the last_ _thing_ _you shall ever behold!_ Thor thought to himself and lifted Mjolnir to end this miserable creature's life. Her pale face became white as the wall behind her and she raised her arms in defense but she didn't avert her gaze from the furious Thunderer, emerald green eyes staring into his piercing blue orbs which unnerved him even more. _Enough!_ _I won't bare it any longer!_

Thor's grip on the hammer tightened and he was about to summon his lightning when Natasha launched herself in front of him, covering the smaller woman protectively. “Stop this insanity at once!” she hissed and glared at the god, ready to face his wrath if need be. But Thor would never hurt one of his friends, especially not Natasha whom he respected for her honed skills. “Get out of my way.” Thor's voice was merely a low rumble in his chest, but the Black Widow was unimpressed by his threatening. When she realized what the Thunderer had in mind she just acted without much thinking. It was crystal clear to her that she needed to protect the other woman because Natasha had experienced a similar deadly terror herself when she was trained to be an assassin. Most of the memories of that particular time were locked away by her mind because they are to painful and horrible to recall. But the helpless small woman had reminded her exactly of that period of Natasha's life and so there was no way she would let Thor pass. “If you want to proceed you will have to kill me first. So don't you dare to try to harm her again.” she hissed and Thor knew she was deadly serious about it. Thus he slowly brought the hammer down and narrowed his eyes slightly at the red-head. Being still angry he did not step away from the two females and hesitantly Natasha turned and knelt down beside the frightened woman.  
“It's ok now, he won't hurt you.” she whispered sweetly and quickly took off her long dark-brown cardigan to wrap the smaller female up and cover her nakedness in front of the men present. The strange woman seemed surprised at the gesture and looked at her savior in confusion. “Come!” Natasha urged her to stand up and held her from both sides to steady her because her whole body was trembling in fear. “What are you doing?” Steve asked, earning himself a 'stupid question' -look from the red-head while she led the woman towards the elevator, her emerald eyes warily watching Thor as they passed him. “I'm going to tend to her, like we should have from the start and see that she feels better. You have any free guest room left, Tony?”   
“Two floors up, right next to yours. But don't get that slime onto my furniture!” Tony's retort caused the Widow to turn her head and give him the most horrid death-glare he had ever received. The cold shiver running down his spine made Tony freeze in place momentarily and only when the elevator's doors were closed did he move again. “Guess I know why she's been called the 'Black Widow'... “ he murmured while Steve walked over to Thor who glared intently at the remnants of the sphere. 

“Uhm, Thor? … What was that about? You wouldn't have killed her, would you?” Steve asked but again the god maintained his silence.  
“Well, I think it's for the best if we all get some sleep. She doesn't seem to be dangerous and Natasha is keeping an eye on that woman. Besides, there's nothing we can do right now and tomorrow we will make a fresh start.” Bruce finally replied and gestured for the others to follow him to the elevator, which they all did willingly.   
“Yeah, maybe she will talk to us and explain herself.” Steve added while Clint and Tony yawned behind him.

“Time to get my beauty-sleep!” Tony said and noted that the big blonde was missing, then his gaze fell upon the open balcony door. Whenever Thor was angered or simply pissed off, he left the tower for several hours, flying around and bringing rain. Tony understood that a man needed some space but this time he wondered what Thor would have done if Natasha hadn't stopped him. Honestly, the thought that Thor would kill her had never crossed Tony's mind, even when he saw how the god raised his mighty hammer. _No, he wouldn't_ _have done that, he's a good guy_ _..._  
  
After the shower, Natasha guided the female towards her room but then decided it would be wiser to share a room for the first night. So she arranged some pillows and blankets on the cozy couch in her own room and was content to see the small woman smile slightly when she lay down and nuzzled into the pillow. “Like a little kitten.” Natasha chuckled and tucked her up, the sparkling emerald eyes watching her every move. Of course she was wary, Natasha knew all to well that trust is something to be earned but given some time she was sure that the woman would warm up to her. Yawning Natasha walked over to her bed and put the black gun out of her nightstand and under her pillow, just in case. When she heard the faint noise of slow breathing she turned and beheld the female sleeping calmly, her chest heaving steadily and her expressions relaxed. Curled up like that she truly looked like an innocent kitten and Natasha doubted that she could be a danger to someone. _Don't worry, kitten, I will protect you._  
  
***  
  
The next day, every one rose rather late because of the night's endeavor and Thor had no intentions to meet any of the Avengers or the strange creature soon. Additionally, his little late night flight around the blocks to soothe his temper had drained him too. Thus he rolled over in bed and pulled the blanket over his head when he heard some talking outside his room. But even in his sleep he was haunted by a pair of emerald green eyes.

“Good morning, kitten.” Natasha said to her new roommate, who sat up and rubbed her eyes lazily while Natasha got dressed – black jeans combined with a ruby woolen pullover. Then she rummaged in her wardrobe in search for some fitting clothes for her guest and decided that she would need to buy some new ones. “Here, they will probably be a little too large but they should do it for now.” she finally said, holding up some grey sweatpants and a black shirt. and walked over to the woman to help dressing her. Luckily the silent female complied without a struggle but insisted on wearing the dark-brown cardigan on top. When they were finished Natasha took her by the hand and led the smaller one outside towards the kitchen area.  
The other members of the team were already up and about, Bruce made his famous pancakes while Tony managed the coffee and Steve chatted with Clint at the dining table. They all paused and looked over when the two women emerged from the hallway.  
“Good morning guys!” Natasha cheered to successfully break the uncomfortable silence and led the female over to the table.   
“Morning. Any troubles during the night?” Steve asked when the two women sat down between him and Clint. Clad in this loose fitting clothes, her black hair combed and hanging loosely down her shoulders, the strange woman looked quite normal and one could easily forget that she came out of a golden metal sphere, covered in slime. Actually, the longer Steve observed their guest, the less he thought of her as a danger and decided to show his best manners. She was a lady after all.  
“Everything was fine, she slept like a baby.” Natasha replied while Tony put a cup of coffee in front of her and Bruce brought the pancakes. They smelled delicious and the female leaned cautiously closer to inhale their sweet rich scent, observed amazed yet amused by the Avengers.   
“Did you two snuggle up under the blanket?” Tony asked, a wicked smirk plastered across his face and Clint chuckled at this dirty indication, Steve just rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Tony.” Natasha retorted and divided the pancakes amongst them.   
“I suppose she hasn't said anything yet, am I right?” Bruce was curious to know more about the woman but was wise enough not to push the matter too much.   
“Not a word, but that will come in time, right kitten?” The red-head replied and gently put her hand on the other woman's shoulder who smiled shyly in return.   
“' _Kitten_ ', is she your pet now?” Tony quipped, not believing his ears. “I mean, not that I'm surprised, you two surely look great in bed.” he added and winked at the Widow, imagining the two woman rubbing against each other nakedly until a slap on the back of his head from Clint woke him from his daydream.

“This whole situation must be handled with great care as we don't know what she is capable of. We shouldn't rush things but keep an eye on her. Maybe we can run some simple health-tests later, just to check the basics.” Bruce was very diplomatic and tried not to sound too eager to analyze the female but he doubted that she was all human. Natasha pondered over the scientist's words and finally nodded slowly, accepting that they had to gather information somehow. “Ok, but not without me.”  
Breakfast – or rather brunch as it was almost midday – continued peacefully and while the Avengers chatted casually, the female seemed to relax and accommodate to their presence, her vivid eyes scanning the room and observing each of the team members curiously. That was until the Norse god joined them, stumping loudly into the room with a grim and tired face. The Kitten shrank back on her chair, trying to become as small and invisible as possible when Thor's gaze roamed over her but luckily he just grabbed a large cup of coffee and leaned against the kitchen counter, far away from the strange creature. Although he avoided looking at her and mostly talked to Steve and Tony at the other end of the table, Thor could feel the green eyes watching him and he played with the thought of moving abruptly just to scare her again. But that would enrage the over-protective Widow and the blonde was too tired to deal with that now.

***  
  
“Ok, this should be enough for today. Now we have to wait for the results.” Bruce exclaimed happily and removed the sensors from the Kitten's arms and forehead while Tony managed the new data with his AI. “She's very calm, I think she realized that we mean her no harm.”   
“Tell that our Norse meathead.” Natasha was still furious with the god and his behavior.  
“Yeah, he frightened the living daylights out of her and I doubt they will ever warm up to each other after that fiasco.” Tony walked over to the others and stood right in front of the female who sat on the large metal table. “But she does look like Reindeer Games...except for the hairstyle.” In contrast to the Trickster, the Kitten's black hair wasn't combed back, instead several thin strands framed her pretty face. But she had the same mesmerizing green eyes and a pale complexion. “Maybe she's the good twin no one knows about?” Tony added and Bruce chuckled in amusement. “Then hopefully we find yours too!”

“Very funny...”  
“Alright, if we're done here I will take her shopping. She's in dire need for clothes.” Natasha said and motioned for the Kitten to follow her. “Wait, you wanna go outside with her?” The scientists didn't approve of this idea. “I won't leave her to you guys.”  
“I could go and buy some stuff, after I have ascertained her measurements with my hands of course.” The billionaire smirked while his friends gave him a disgusted look.  
“No way, you pervert. I'll ask Steve to baby-sit her while I'm gone.” Natasha replied before the two women entered the elevator.

***  
  
Thor walked down the corridor to get some food as his stomach was screaming for nourishment by now and was surprised to see Natasha grab her car-keys and head for the elevator – alone. “Where are you going?” he asked wondering why she was in such a rush and Natasha gave him a small but earnest smile before she vanished inside the elevator. “I'm going to buy our guest some clothes and other stuff. I won't be gone for long so don't try anything stupid!”

After allaying his hunger, the god chose to spend some time in the living room, maybe watch some TV, but he regretted his decision the very moment he exited the elevator one floor above. Sitting on the large cream couch of the living room suite, the Captain flipped through some magazines while the black-haired woman beside him froze when she saw the god. Steve noted and looked up to behold the reason for her fear, then he frowned silently. “Thor... I didn't expect you to leave your room today.” Slowly Thor walked over to them and sat down on the armchair next to his friend, as far away from her as possible before he replied in a low voice. “Believe me, it was a mistake.”  
 _Great, now I need to baby-sit them both..._ Steve thought to himself, praying that Natasha would return soon while Thor and the Kitten stared at each other. His condescending gaze travelled across her slim body, which was hidden under the loosely fitting clothes, her hair combed and shiny. Thor couldn't understand why everybody was so friendly to her, accepting her as if she was one of their own and even spoiling her with new garments and all this kindness. She came out of a magical golden ball with ancient Asgardian engravings, by the Nine's sake! How can his friends be so calm around her? Does the fact that she looks awfully familiar bother only him? Which it did quite a lot actually, because he was sure of his brother's death and it pained his already wounded heart to be reminded of his loss, of how much he missed his sibling. Every fiber of his body wanted to scream at her, to torment her as much as her mere presence tormented him and he could not stand to look upon her beautiful yet disgusting face. Thor's face didn't give away his boiling fury but his fingers dug deep into the armrest.  
  
It was the most inappropriate moment for his bladder to demand release and Steve shifted on the couch to delay the inevitable but he had no chance against 'nature's call'. “I'll be right back.” Reluctantly he rose and left the two glaring at each other, hoping that both would be still alive when he returned.  
  
The woman watched with shock how the nice man vanished out of her sight, leaving her alone with the other man, the big gruesome giant who had hurt her badly when she was still in her shell, sending pure stinging pain through her entire body. Physically he hadn't hurt her but he had inflicted such agony on her, imprinting a lesson into her mind: _Fear him! Run from him!  
_ Yes, she was sure it was him because she remembered his aura and she had noted the tiny sparks of lightning surrounding his hammer when he loomed above her later. Oh how she dreaded him, she didn't even dare to move an inch because that could unleash another wave of this terrible pain. Frantically she tried to stay calm, to soothe her nerves but in vain. Then he rose.

 


	3. A word please

 

Against his better knowledge, Thor stepped forward, his fists clenched and his face dark, and when he passed the low coffee-table the woman half-jumped smoothly behind the large arm-chair next to the couch so that he couldn't grab her easily. “You shouldn't walk on this earth as your whole existence is an insult to my brother!” It was barely a whisper, a mere low growl full of anger and Thor wasn't sure if she understood his words. But from the way she trembled she seemed to grasp his threat and the god was pleased to see pure dread in her eyes.   
Suddenly the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway and quickly as a cat the woman ran over there to hide behind Steve the very moment he entered the living room, her tiny figure vanishing completely behind the larger man. The Captain was confused for a second as the female rushed behind him but then he looked over to Thor and knew leaving them alone was a mistake. The big blonde glared at them, every muscle of his body tensed, stretching the dark-blue t-shirt he wore to the maximum. Even the air seemed to become dry and crackling because of his fury and Steve shoved the little woman further behind him. “Thor, I suggest you leave or this will become ugly. I don't want to fight you but if you don't calm down you give me no choice.” The Captain said sternly , hoping that the god was open to reason and would regain his senses. “Please, Thor!”  
Breathing heavily he stood in place like a column, his piercing blue eyes sparkling dangerously and he even thought about summoning Mjolnir. _But then what? Fight the Captain, my friend, who is unarmed at the moment? No!_ Thor thought to himself before he made up his mind to leave it at that. Slowly the tension in his body declined and he turned around to stomp off towards the elevator. When the metal doors closed again, Steve sighed in relief and turned to the shivering being behind him. “I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left!" He said and hoped that Natasha wouldn't find out somehow. "Jarvis, where is Thor now?"

"He is currently in his room, trashing some furniture." The AI replied instantly in its usual calm voice. A look of concern and confusion crossed the Captain's face because he could not grasp the reason why the god detested this woman. _She didn't do anything to him but he desires to kill her..._ . "I guess we should stay here on this floor then." The kitchen area was taboo for now as it was on the same floor as Thor's room.

***

When Natasha came back to the tower, she hurried towards the living room because Jarvis had informed her about what happened in her absence. Steve was watching some TV while the Kitten curled up beside him on the couch and slept peacefully. Not wanting to wake her, the red-head sat silently down beside Steve and whispered: "Thanks for protecting her but next time you better pee yourself before you let them out of your sight." Steve almost chuckled aloud. "So you know. Well, sorry about that. But I just don't get it why Thor acts so hostile. I mean look at her!" Both observed the sleeping female next to them, her breathing steadily and her expression soft. "Why are you protecting her?" the Captain asked all of a sudden and Natasha hesitated before she replied. "She reminds me of myself before I was trained to become an assassin. All childish innocence had been taken from me and afterwards was only pain and fear until I didn't feel even those anymore." Natasha stared at the floor while Steve pondered over her words, the quiet muttering from the TV being the only sound in the room. 

***

The next evening, heavy raindrops splashed against the large windows of Stark Tower, as if the heavens were weeping for the Norse god who wouldn't share a single tear. Jane had called. Due to her work she was in New York and had wished to meet with him – talk about things. Jane always wanted to talk, to discuss and to analyze matters and Thor loathed it. But he had agreed and about two hours later, the brunette exited the elevator on his floor. He welcomed her nicely, as did the other Avengers, but they didn't kiss before both vanished in Thor's room.  Natasha and the Kitten were in the kitchen preparing some food when Jane rushed past them over an hour later, her eyes watery. "Now we know why it's storming outside. Looks like Thor ditched her." Tony commented when she was gone while Natasha only shrugged. Her teammates love affairs were none of her concern. Outside a wild thunderstorm roared, darkening the night-sky.

This night the little female could not sleep because of the weather, being too nervous because she knew it was _him_ who caused the thunder. This woman named Jane seemed to be his mate, he was gentle to her but even she ran from him, crying and frustrated. But why is he so gruesome to me? The little Kitten wondered before sleep took hold of her finally. Also in her dreams, the blue eyed blonde pursued her, chasing after her with his hammer and in pure fury, causing her to revive the moment of agony when his lightning hit her.  The rest of the night she was befallen by a strong fever, sweating every last drop of water out of her body. 

The next morning, Natasha shook the woman gently to wake her, a worried expression on her face. "Kitten, are you alright? You are feverish..." she assessed when she touched her heated forehead and decided to let Bruce know. "Rest some more, I'll be right back." But Bruce couldn't do more than to take her temperature and advice more rest. "I won't risk side effects because of some medicaments. We don't know how her body reacts to them." 

***

It was lunch when Natasha went to see the Kitten again and luckily, her fever was gone. “So how is she?” Steve asked worriedly when the red-head returned into the kitchen while Tony sipped his coffee. “Completely fine. What ever it was, it's gone.” she answered and opened the fridge to get some food for the other woman. “Perfect, I wouldn't want her to miss the party tonight!” Tony commented joyfully from the side, meeting Steve's puzzled gaze.   
“A party?”  
“Yes, we had some severe missions the past weeks – all successfully completed – and that demands for some serious celebration!” the scientist cheered.  
“For once you have a point.” Natasha admitted because she was definitely in the mood for some merriment – and she needed an occasion to wear her new dress anyway. “But is it wise to have Kitten among a bunch of strange people?”  
“She's already living with us, who could be worse?” Tony retorted and walked towards the elevator. “What about Thor?” Steve interrupted but the billionaire only shrugged casually. “We'll keep him and Kitty apart or we could disguise her as your evil twin-sister!”   
Steve chuckled and rolled his eyes while Natasha sighed. “Thor is not stupid, Tony.”  
“Well he has his moments … Anyways, don't worry, it will be great!” Tony replied and vanished inside the elevator.

***   


Several pearls of sweat glided down his massive body as he moved quickly across the training grounds, swinging his hammer wildly. In order to maintain his godly physique and his honed skills but also because he loved it, Thor trained every day for at least four hours, sometimes even more. Additionally, it proved to be a successful means to calm his temper and distract his mind, which he needed direly after his talk with Jane yesterday. She had accused him of neglecting her, having her wait for two years after his first visit on Midgard and now that he was living with the Avengers he avoids her still. Sadly, these reproaches were merely the hurtful truth and the bitter end of their relationship was overdue. Thus the god told her to leave and never come back for him. Of course it hurt that they would walk separate ways now but Thor was also relieved, had this relationship been more a burden than a blessing of late. After realizing this simple fact, Thor's mood was bright today and he didn't feel the need to moon over her. Thus he trained joyfully, each swing of the hammer with such vigor that if he let go it would crash through several walls. This training reminded him of Asgard, where he had often sparred with his friends in the sands, sweating and laughing. The fond memories brought a small smile onto the gods lips when he took the elevator to his floor, panting and exhausted. He was in dire need of a shower and the prospect of cold water rushing down his hot skin seemed incredibly marvelous.  But when he entered the bath next to his room, his mood darkened abruptly when a small woman stood in front of the tub and Thor was stunned by the sight. A white towel wrapped around her slim figure was all that concealed her curves while her slender legs were bare for the god to behold. With her wet black hair combed back neatly and her emerald eyes locked to his, she resembled the God of Mischief more than ever. _By the Nine, she looks exactly like him..._ Paralyzed by her fear she didn't move and stared up at the blonde giant who blocked the way outside. Intently she watched every twitch, every reaction of him, hoping to find an opportunity to slip past his large body. She noted the pearls of sweat on his skin, causing his shirt to stick to his broad chest and rippled abdomen, his heavy breathing and the tension in his muscles because of the training.   
Thor was terribly confused by the emotions rushing through him right now. On the one hand, there was grief and anger for being so bluntly reminded of his deceased brother, additionally to the fear that she could be one of Loki's tricks. But on the other hand, standing half-naked in front of him, the towel pressing her small breasts together to form a lovely décolleté in which a pearl of water vanished, she was a truly arousing sight – too arousing for Thor as he could already feel her bewitching effect on his lower parts. _A minx just like Loki..._ he thought to himself, remembering how gracious and elegant his brother had been, how beautiful compared to him. Secretly, Thor had always admired Loki's slim yet trained figure, combined with those long slender legs and those honed features. The second prince had been the champion amongst the ladies in Asgard but he didn't make as much use of his royal position as Thor did in order to bed lovely maidens.  
Suddenly and without warning, the little one rushed forward and tried to get past him but Thor reacted in time and caught her by the left arm, yanking her back before him. “You... Enough of this deceit! Tell me, what are you!” His voice was a low hiss and he leaned down to intimidate her further, their faces only inches apart. Not able to withstand his staring, she turned her head and averted her gaze but Thor grabbed her chin with his free hand and forced her to meet his piercing blue eyes again. “Tell me!” he urged with more anger in his voice, his grip on her arm and chin tightening, causing her to shrink back in fear.   
  
“P..please...”   
  
At first, the god couldn't believe his ears when he heard her voice, but her lips had actually moved to form a single word – her first word and it was a pleading. Unintentionally and as stunned as he was, Thor loosened his hold on her for a split second and the little woman made use of it and quickly slipped past the larger man. He tried to grab her in the hallway but she was beyond reach and then vanished into Natasha's room. _Damned_...  
While he was under the shower, Thor decided not to tell the others that she had spoken to him because he wanted to ask her some important questions first and alone. He tilted his head back and ravished the cold water running down his face while he thought about how to proceed before his mind drifted off to other topics – tonight's party amongst them.

***   


The three floors of the living room were crowded with chatting guests and the atmosphere was relaxed and merry when Thor exited the elevator to join the ongoing party. Dressed in a casual pair of black jeans combined with a grey shirt and a crimson jacked on top, he looked very handsome and more of a gentlemen than a warrior. For once, his hair was combed and tied back loosely – his mother would be happy to see him dolled up like that. Several ladies smiled enticingly at him when he made his way towards the bar, flattering the god's ego just like the ladies did in Asgard when he was a young prince.   
“Do we know each other, Sir?” Tony quipped and eyed the god beside him, whom he had rarely seen in such elegant attire. “Look at you! Dandified from head to toes. Is that cologne I smell on you?” Tony added and Thor chuckled, swaying the drink in his hands before he retorted in a half-serious tone. “My punches will hurt no less in this garments.”   
“Oh come on, that was a compliment! And you have to admit that you look ravishing – not as much as me though.” With a cocky smirk, the billionaire sipped at his strong drink when Steve joined them. “Where's Pepper? I haven't seen her in a while.”  
“Well, running her own company now, Pepper has a tight schedule. That's the side effect of success I guess." Tony explained almost melancholy.   
"At last we agree on something." Thor put in and Steve dared to dig some more. "I've heard that Jane is the best in her field of science.."   
"Indeed. And now she can focus on her work entirely." With one gulp the god emptied his glass and put it down onto the bar. "And I shall have more time for other merriments!" Thor added and smiled widely at them while Tony put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "That's my man! Where's the Whiskey?" "Another fruitless attempt to best me in drinking?" Thor chuckled in amusement, had none of his friends managed to drink him under the table yet. Midgardian alcohol was far less potent than the one served on Asgard.  "Hell yes! And no pretty lady can stop me from my mission!" Tony boasted, eager to win this time, while he refilled their glasses. The Captain could only smile at Stark's optimism but then he noted two figures appearing on the upper floor of the living room. "And what about those two?" he said, causing the other men to follow his gaze to the top of the stairs, their eyes widening at the sight. Natasha looked stunning in her black and white dress, which emphasized her curvy yet trained body and to soften the outfit her fiery red hair was falling in large locks. And the woman beside her was at least her equal. The three men were surprised what drastic change the right choice of clothes plus a little make up could achieve. The Kitten wore a dark-blue sundress, which was tight at the top but more loose from the hips downward, with a white ribbon around her waist matching her pumps. Her black hair was floating freely down her shoulders, the tips framing her emerald eyes and pink lips.  
"Looks like Kitten has become a tiger." Tony whispered to Steve when the two ladies graciously descended the staircase and walked towards them.   
"You may pick up your jaw from the floor, Tony." Natasha quipped before she walked around the bar to make her special 'vodka-romanoff' – a hefty drink which could easily knockout the strongest man.   
"I'm not used to some tight clothes around your body except your leather suit, forgive me the staring." The billionaire replied casually and gestured her to make him a drink too while Steve tried to occupy Thor's attention in a conversation to keeping him distracted. But the god was only half listening to his friend, shooting quick glances over to the black-haired woman beside him whenever possible. As soon as Natasha was done behind the bar she decided to search for Bruce and took the Kitten along, not wanting to leave her around the guys alone. Thor sighed silently and engaged more into the conversation with Steve. _I need_ _her to be alone_ _...  
_

During the evening, the Kitten noticed how Natasha flirted with the friendly scientist, at first only subtle but after another drink her attempts became rather obvious and the Kitten decided to give them some privacy. Thus she strolled through the crowd of guests towards a large window in a more quiet corner of the room. She had refrained from drinking as Natasha had advised her, which allowed her sharp senses to detect the man approaching her. _He won't hurt me in front of all those strangers?_ She thought to herself when she turned to face the tall god behind her.   
As soon as he had noticed that she was alone, Thor crossed the room. He almost hurried over to her because he couldn't let this opportunity slip.   
“You owe me an answer, little one.” He kept his voice low but there were definitely determination and harshness in it. “What are you? And more importantly, do you know a man named Loki?” he added and looked deep into her green eyes as if boring into her soul with his own piercing blue orbs. All he received as an answer was a shake of her head – referring to his second question he supposed.   
“Good.” Although that didn't mean that she was not a creation of his brother, Thor felt a little bit relieved, which the Kitten sensed too. However, the god wondered why she didn't run from him this time like she had earlier today and assumed that she felt safe because of the guests present, knowing that Thor wouldn't hurt her now. _Clever little thing..._ he thought when he noted the sudden change in her expressions and color of complexion. Her pale skin seemed almost as white as the ribbon of the dress and she put her hand on the glass to steady herself, her gaze blurry and averted from him now. Then she brought up her free hand to touch her head as if she was in pain and it was that exact moment when Thor noted the few small golden scales on her upper arm. _Have my eyes missed them when I met her in the bathroom?_  
“Help...” she whispered, interrupting the god's trail of thoughts before she collapsed in front of him.

 


	4. More questions

Thor looked down upon the unconscious woman at his feet and was about to act when suddenly a fist collided with his jaw, painfully stealing his balance.   
“Can't you leave her alone for just one evening!!” Rarely did the Captain's fury come forth but he had certain moral principles and rules, overstepping them wasn't acceptable. The Kitten lay motionless on the floor and from her position, one could easily assume that Thor had hit her. “Jesus, Thor, I knew you could be rude but hurting a defenseless woman?” he added but the god was still too dizzy from the punch to reply. Thor rubbed his throbbing jaw while Steve quickly knelt down and picked the woman up.   
“I had no hand in this!” Thor finally stumbled when Steve stood up again, glaring at him before he turned and marched towards the elevator. Silence had flooded the entire room, oppressing every other sound and all the horrified guests had watched this bizarre scene, their gazes following the enraged Captain and the little woman swaying in his massive arms.

Down in the lab, Bruce run some standard health-tests while Steve paced restlessly across the room. The Kitten lay unconscious on the large metal table, some wires attached to her arms and forehead and Natasha gently lifted her right arm to examine the golden scales. There were more on her shoulder-blade and when the red-head half-turned the Kitten on the table she gasped at what she saw. Her whole back was covered in golden scales, sparkling in the dim-lit lab. When she put the Kitten back on the table, some strands of black hair slipped over her ear, revealing it's pointy end.   
“Guys...?” Bruce and Steve walked over, alarmed by her call and their eyes widened too at the obvious changes to the woman's body.  
“It seems like she's still growing...” Steve rubbed the back of his neck in confusion while Bruce leaned down to have a better look at the scales.  
“Marvelous... She's definitely special in every aspect. We need to run some more tests.” The scientist said while readjusting his glasses. The prospect of more wires and needles around the Kitten didn't please Natasha in any way, had she herself some gruesome memories of similar situations. Additionally, she didn't trust Tony's skills and intentions, especially when he had the chance to tamper with a strange creature as her – luckily he wouldn't miss his own party. But on the other hand, they needed to gather information about their guest and since the Kitten refused to talk, tests were the only option available.  
“Ok, but we need to do something about Thor.” All three looked at each other seriously but none had a concrete solution at hand. “We can't let him near her again.”  
  
***  
  
About an hour later, when Bruce was done with his tests and he and Natasha decided to join the party again, Steve volunteered to carry the Kitten back to Natasha's room. Light as a feather she lay in his arms, curled up as if his presence meant safety to her and when he put her on the soft couch she reluctantly slipped from his grasp. Admittedly, Steve had grown fond of the little female over the past week. She was so pure, so innocent and without fault yet she had to experience horror and fear every time she met the Thunderer. Steve couldn't understand the god's grudge against her and honestly, he was still angry at Thor for treating her so rudely. And deep inside him, as it was his nature, Steve felt the need to protect the Kitten, to never let anyone harm her again.  
Thus he sat down on the couch beside her sleeping form and pulled her into a gentle embrace without waking her. “I will protect you.” he whispered into her pointy ear before he closed his eyes and drifted off into a deep slumber.

The faint sound of someone else's breath woke the Kitten in the middle of the night ands her eyes shot open immediately. She barely remembered what had happened at the party and at first she panicked when she felt those big arms slung around her body. However, when she realized it was not Thor but Steve who pressed himself against her back she relaxed and closed her eyes, snuggling up against his broad chest and inhaling his scent before she fell asleep again.

***  
  
“Good morning, Captain Teddybear!” Was the first thing Steve heard when he entered the kitchen area, his limbs still stiff from sleeping on the narrow couch. Being too tired for Tony's mocking he just rolled his eyes and walked towards the coffee machine. But the faint pink on the Captains' cheeks didn't elude Natashas' eyes when he passed.   
“It was late and I was drunk...” Steve replied while filling his cup with the dark liquor, hoping to be rid of his hangover soon.  
“That's how most of my stories begin!” As if the alcohol from last night had been flushed out of his organism completely, Tony sat casually at the dining-table and grinned from one ear to another. “You seem to have found yourself a nice cuddly toy?”  
“Quit it, Stark.” Not ready to deal with the cunning scientist this early, Steve shallowed down the coffee, then grabbed two plates full of biscuits and fruit and headed towards Natasha's room.  
“I like it, you know.” Clint said when the Captain was beyond ear-shot, gaining himself a puzzled look from Tony. “The 'man out of time' together with the 'woman out of a ball', huh? Isn't he a little bit too old for her?”   
“Well, we don't know how old she is precisely.” Bruce commented, slicing a ripe pear.  
“Sir, the results of the tests are available.” As soon as Jarvis said those words, Tony was on his feet and hurried towards the elevator. “What are we waiting for?!”

Five minutes later, the whole team, except for Steve was gathered in the lab, waiting impatiently for the results to be revealed. Even Thor had joined them, being too curious to stay at his room.   
“Report Jarvis!”   
“Yes, Sir. All vital signs are within a normal range for humans, noting exceptional and her body functions are equivalent to those of a human.”  
“And what about the scales?” Tony asked, not less tensed as the others were.  
“They are similar to reptile scales, however coated in vanadium and gold just like the sphere she emerged from. From the scans of the sphere it can be assumed that it is approximately over a thousand years old and although 'the Kitten' was born only days ago, the cells of her body have an age of about 25 years.”  
Everyone was silent, each wondering about what the AI had just said and Bruce walked over to the laptop to survey the results closer. “Fascinating... at such a speed...”  
“The fever attack was most likely connected to the subsequent growth spurt. And her cells are still very productive, suggesting that she will develop further.” Jarvis added while Tony joined Bruce behind the laptop. Thereupon, the Avengers started a heated discussion about the Kitten again, whether to perform further tests or what else could be done in order to discover the whole truth behind her. At least they knew for certain that she wasn't human and that there would be more surprising changes to her soon. But how to proceed, they didn't know. Exhausted and annoyed from the quarreling, Tony was about to banish everyone from his lab when Jarvis interrupted him.  
“One more thing, Sir. … The Kitten, her whole body emits very similar frequencies as does the scepter or Mjolnir.”  
A cold shudder ran down the Thunderer's spine as there was only one word spinning in his mind: _Magic_. And the one at hand was definitely of a strong kind if it truly resembled his hammer and Loki's scepter. _But doe_ _s_ _this imply that she is from Asgard? Could it be?_ Thor thought to himself as he crossed the lab and walked over to the opened golden sphere, examining the engravings thoroughly. _If only I had paid more attention during our history lessons... Loki would_ _have_ _be_ _en_ _able to read them for sure..._ _Now there is only one who can help us.  
_ Slowly Thor piled the petal like remains of the sphere and picked them up before the others noted.  
“What are you doing, Thor?” Clint said and suddenly everyone looked at the god suspiciously as one could never know what he was up to these days.  
“If there is magic within her, she might be more dangerous than we could imagine and we are in dire need of the truth. These engravings might provide the key that we lack to uncover her secrets and there is but one who can grasp their meaning.” Thor's voice was low and commanding, leaving no option to argue with his decision to leave so his friends didn't stop him when he strode towards the balcony door. Seconds later, with his hammer risen to the sky, calling for the golden gatekeeper, the Thunderer was engulfed by white light. Then he was gone.  
  
***  
  
 _Just ignore their gossip_ , Steve thought when he entered Natasha's room where found the Kitten already awake, sitting on the couch and smiling at him. "Here's your breakfast! Eat up, little Kitten!" he said as he handed her the plate, her smile widening at the gesture and Steve found himself lost in her sparkling eyes for a moment. Before he even realized he blushed slightly and quickly averted his gaze, focusing hard onto the biscuits on his plate while he sat down beside her. What a fruitless attempt to calm his nerves! Moved by his kindness, the black-haired woman leaned over and planted a feathery kiss onto the Captain's cheek which turned a strong shade of crimson in return when he realized what this soft touch had been. Being too perplex to usher any words, Steve stayed silent while they ate but occasionally he dared to look at her for a split second, his heart skipping a beat at her sight. She was truly beautiful, every move so smooth and graceful, her complexion stainless like porcelain while her shiny hair was black as night. And then there were her eyes, those deep pools of various shades of green which sparkled differently depending on the light. Admittedly, they were similar to the Tricksters' but there was one essential difference which Steve realized for the first time now. _There is no evil in her eyes... No sin has spoiled her yet_.  The Captain was raised in a devout family, his faith in God being imperturbable and thus he also believed in the devil, or evil per se. And from all the childhood stories and pictures he remembered, pointed ears and a snake (or its scales) were a sign of Lucifer himself.   
An inner conflict spread in his mind and qualms poisoned his thoughts but when the Kitten looked at him, smiling ever so sweetly, his mental storm cleared completely.  
  
***  
  
With long strides the God of Thunder strode through the vast hallways of the golden palace, a place of legends and myths, a place of glory and deepest sorrow, his home.  
The guards bowed as they opened the large door for Thor to pass, like they had done so many times before and as he walked further into the room he remembered one particular day of his past. It should have been the day of his triumph but it was the start of his family's downfall. Proudly and arrogantly he had crossed the room full of cheering citizens, his ego bloated by their flattering and when he reached the far end he was welcomed by friendly faces. Today he hurried across the marble floor, his expression stern and full of concern, and the once vivid throne room was deathly silent, the memories of happier times paining the god. However, on both days the end was the same: he knelt to one man in front of him.  
“Father.”

 


	5. Good advices

Welcome, my son. It has been too long.” The All-Father said, his voice echoing through the empty throne room when Thor rose again. “How fares your new live on Midgard?”  
“It is very different, many things have changed... I have changed.” Thor replied hesitatingly and averted his gaze for a moment, trying to hide his sadness from his father. Odin sensed the discomfort lingering on his son and thus he didn't press the matter further.  
“Your visit is as joyful as it is surprising yet I wonder about its cause?” the All-Father said, his one eye watching his son intently. “I came to seek your knowledge and advice on this.” Thor replied while he placed the pieces of the sphere, which he had carried loosely, in front of the throne where they were more visible.  
The gold sparkled brightly in the well-lit throne room, causing the engravings to be more prominent and Odin rose abruptly when he saw them.   
“These are the remains of a sphere. The engravings seem to be Asgardian...I hoped you could decipher their meaning.” Thor said in a low voice, not wanting to admit to his father that he had paid little attention during his history lessons. Odin had descended the steps of his throne when he picked up one of the pieces to observe it closely, his eye full of wisdom scanning every detail of the fine lines in the metal. “These are from an ancient dialect, once spoken here in Asgard. Only few possess the skill to read them... Where did you find that?” the All-Father said then, pensively stroking his snow-white beard with his free hand.  “On our last mission we secured the golden sphere along with Loki's scepter.” Thor reported and noted how his father's one eye lit up briefly at the mention of the weapon.  
“At first we thought it to be an ordinary artifact and tried with all means to open it. After two days it did so on its own and forth came a woman.”  
“A woman? Of what race?” Odin asked, turning the piece of the sphere around in his hands. “She is of no race I am familiar with, father. Her ears are pointy and her complete back is covered in golden scales. According to Midgardian technology one can assume that some sort of magic is involved and that she is still growing.” Thor replied and he purposefully left out the fact that she looked like the fallen prince of Asgard, knowing that his father was grieving too – probably more than he himself was.  
“Not human nor Aesir, not Jotun nor Vanir...” Odin mumbled, more to himself than to his son, before he finally looked at the blonde god, who was waiting impatiently for the response.  
“I am afraid that some time is needed in order to solve this riddle but fret not, my son, I shall uncover the truth behind this phenomenon.” Thor's shoulders slumped visibly at those words, had he expected some answers to the many questions in his mind. But time was not a problem, Thor had plenty because of his immortality. The only thing that bothered him was that no one knew what the black-haired woman would change into, what dangerous creature or beast she would become if more days passed.   
“In time the truth will come to light and until then you should travel back to Midgard and ensure that this woman does not escape or inflict harm.” Odin said reassuringly, reading his son's expressions like an open book. Meanwhile a guard approached and picked up the pieces of the sphere to carry it away into the king's study, his every move watched by the Thunderer. “But...” Thor said barely audible but was cut off by Odin.  
“You sought advice, now heed it.”  
  
On his way to the palace gates, Thor came to a halt when he heard a familiar voice call him.  
“Lady Sif!” he said joyfully and bowed slightly as did she when she stood beside him. Clad in her finest armor, her black hair floating loosely down her back, she smiled ever so cunningly at him. “My prince, it's good to see you. I wasn't informed on your visit.” “No one was since I am already leaving again.” Thor replied and her smile faded instantly.  
“Oh... well, we can't let Lady Jane wait.” Sif said and forced herself not to let the words sound as sore as she felt right now. Since she first met the golden crown-prince she had deep feelings for him, but due to her low birth there was no way he would choose her. Later, when Sif had accomplished a high status amongst the Asgardian warriors, leading the Warriors Three herself, hope flamed up inside her that there could be a happy ending for her with Thor after all. Days before his coronation, Thor had been a real gentleman to her and there were some signs that he felt drawn to her. But then he was banished and met Jane.  
Thor hesitated to reply but decided it wouldn't matter if she knew what had happened. “Jane and I go separate ways now.”  
“Oh...” Sif's voice rang a little bit too high and loud, betraying the delight she felt at this revealing. “Nevertheless, I must go. It was a pleasure to meet you again and please present the Warriors Three my compliments.” Honestly, Thor had no intention to stay any longer since he knew how awkward the conversation would become if he did. Thus he bowed again and quickly made for the Bifrost.  
 _Nothing holds me here..._  
  
***  
  
It was evening when Thor arrived at Stark Tower and the other Avengers were gathered in the living room, some of them watching a baseball match while Tony and Bruce talked about science. The Kitten sat beside Steve on the large cream couch and immediately looked over to the balcony door when Thor landed outside, her sharp sensed had already alarmed her of his presence long before the others noticed.   
“Hello friends.” Thor said when he entered the living room, carefully shutting the fragile glass door behind him – he had already smashed it several times using too much force.  
“Ah, welcome back Goldlocks! And? What did daddy Odin say?” Tony said and enjoyed the god's irritation because of the nickname. The other team members turned to listen to the answer. “Not much, I'm afraid. The engravings are indeed Asgardian but it will take a while to decipher them. For now we ought to surveil her and keep her within the tower.” Thor replied sternly and although he didn't look at the black-haired woman, he could feel her burning gaze on him.  
“And here I thought Odin has cosmic knowledge?” Tony quipped and gained a very angry stare from the Thunderer, causing him to regret his loose tongue.   
“Mind your words. The All-Father's wisdom is far beyond your understanding, Man of Iron.” Thor said as he sat down beside Bruce on a smaller couch of the living room suite. Luckily, Tony decided not to add any remark and everyone turned back to watching TV or conversing. 

Later, Thor and Bruce stood at the bar, fetching some drinks and snacks for everyone, when Thor noticed how close the Kitten sat to Steve. In fact, she leaned on his shoulder casually and he didn't seem to mind at all. Under the dark blue shirt, his broad chest heaved slowly as did the woman accordingly but her black tank-top was way more showing. The scales had spread further as Thor realized, covering half her arms down to the elbows and he wondered if her legs looked the same. Suddenly he remembered how he met her accidentally in the bathroom. Her still wet body had been covered only by a towel which had squeezed her breasts lovely together, her slender legs bare in front of him. Despite his distrust and grudge for her, Thor had to admit that she was beautiful and he couldn't help but imagine her naked form, wondering which parts were covered in scales – and which not. His alluring daydream was interrupted when Thor saw how the Captain put his right arm around the Kitten in a kind embrace and on top of that, she snuggled up to him. Thor's mood darkened as did the sky outside and he took a long sip from his drink.  
“Everything alright?” Bruce asked cautiously. As an expert on anger-management, the change of Thor's expressions didn't elude his eyes. Although the god didn't reply, Bruce only had to follow his gaze in order to get one.   
“Ah, you don't approve of those two and judging from the face you're making right now I guess you're jealous.” the scientist said in a low voice, not wanting the others to eavesdrop on their little chat and Thor almost choked on his drink at the words. “I am certainly not. This miserable creature...”  
“Look, Thor, I know she reminds you of your brother but she is definitely not like him. She's a very kind being and deserves to be treated nicely, not threatened with a hammer. Steve protected her from you, that's why she likes him and he grew quite fond of her...”  
“I can see that...” Thor muttered into his glass, narrowing his eyes at the sight of the Captain and the woman almost cuddling on the couch.  
“Please don't act foolishly.” Bruce said calmly and Thor snorted half amused, half offended. “My mother often told me that too.”

Thor grabbed the bowl full of popcorn and walked over to the others when suddenly all windows on the north side shattered into million pieces due to an explosion. Luckily the living room suite was far enough away from the windows so that no one got hurt. Everyone jumped to their feet, ready to face whatever caused this disruption, Tony called for his suit while Thor grabbed Mjolnir when about twenty men came through the destroyed windows. They were clad completely in black, masks covering their faces and on their helmets flaunted a red skull with tentacles.  
“Hydra!” Steve hissed and darted forward, followed by Thor. They reached the enemies just before they could draw their guns and sent five of them right back outside the window. However, the remaining Hydra agents pressed forward and attacked the others which were unarmed at the moment, even Tony wasn't in his full suit yet. Clint and Natasha, both experts in hand-to-hand combat, fought them off as best as they could while the Kitten hid behind the couch.  
She was very frightened, her whole body trembling as she cowered on the floor. Then there was a loud bang and a scream.  
“Natasha!” Clint shouted and furiously kicked the agent looming above her away before he knelt down beside her.  
“Nat?” he repeated but the red-head only grunted and pressed her hand flat against her stomach, red liquid welling up between her fingers.   
“Shit...” Clint muttered and tried to lift up the wounded assassin as gently as possible to carry her away but he didn't see another agent approaching them. Nor did he expect the Kitten to jump forth from her hiding place and tackle the Hydra agent behind him. The agent tried to shake her off but she wouldn't let him, she scratched him across the face, she bit him in the hand – she fought him with everything she had. Clint watched in amazement and noted another agent coming at her.

"Watch out!" he cried and suddenly something emerged from beneath the Kitten's red skirt, something flexible but indefinable – and it became longer and longer.  "Is that a tail?" Clint muttered to himself as he dragged Nat behind the couch and as he took another glance at the fighting woman he was sure.   
"Holy shit, it's a tail!"  Said part of her body was wrapped around one agent's neck, squeezing life out of him while she kicked the other one fiercely in his crotch before she lashed across his face with her now long black claws, wounding him badly at the eye. She was furious, her emerald eyes sparkling dangerously and she would show no mercy to those men who had hurt Natasha. The Kitten owed her that. The face of the agent whom she was strangling became red first than purple until he fainted and collapsed onto the ground. The other in front of her was blinded, blood gushing from his face and the Kitten simply turned to face the next opponent.  In the meantime, more Hydra agents had entered the Tower but they stood no ground against Thor, Tony in his suit and Steve, one after another landed unconscious or badly wounded on the floor.  With his mighty hammer he had crushed a man's skull through the black helmet, the sound of shattering bones being familiar to the god. Then Thor turned and saw the Kitten fight fiercely with three agents and another two lying at her feet. 

"That's the last one!" Steve shouted as he sent an agent flying across the living room by a nice left upper cut. The same moment, Thor walked over to the little woman and eliminated two of the agents she was facing.  Panting she stood before him and glared at him because she was not sure if he would attack her too. But Thor had no such thoughts as he was stunned by the newest changes to her body: from her lower back a long tail had grown, covered completely in golden scales and with a spike at its end. The scales on her body had stretched further, reaching down her whole arms and legs which sparkled with every movement. Then Thor noticed the long black claws she had, blood dripping from the sharp tips as it did from her pointy fangs. _What in the Nine Realms are you?!_ Thor thought to himself while Tony, Steve and Bruce – who had hidden behind the bar so that he wouldn't turn green and trash the whole Tower – stood perplexed beside him.  "Incredible..." Bruce muttered and cautiously took a step closer.  
"I wouldn't get too close, buddy. She's definitely biting!" Tony said and refused to take off his suit, maybe the fight wasn't over yet.   
"She has become a monster as I feared. We shall have her in chains from now on!" Thor yelled and didn't wait for a response before he stepped towards her. The Kitten hissed dangerously and bared her fangs at the approaching god as she crouched before him, ready to lunge at him and rip his throat out if she must. This time her eyes were different, there was still fear but also blunt determination to fight him and Thor felt a cold shiver running down his spine as he met this intense gaze.   
"Stop it, you idiot!" In time, Clint stepped between Thor and the Kitten, shielding her as best as he could from the blonde giant. "She's no monster! Nat and I would be dead if not for her!" he added while Bruce ran over to the wounded red-head.   
"I need her down in my lab, NOW!" Bruce said as he examined her belly while Steve walked past Thor. "Go and tend to her, I'll take care of the Kitten." he said to Clint who nodded and turned to pick up Natasha.   
"Of course you do, in every possible way I bet. You would let that scum even suck your cock!” Thor spat, his voice full of bitterness and all eyes were on him, except for Bruce and Clint who entered the elevator with Natasha.   
"You better watch your language." Steve said surprisingly calmly as he turned to the god. "Or perhaps you enlighten us on what your problem really is." he added and walked slowly towards the blonde.   
"Have you lost your eyesight? Look what she has done, look at her, she is -" Thor began but Steve wouldn't let him use that particular word again, especially not in the Kitten's presence.   
"None of us knows what she is but I don't care! I like her and there is no shame in that!" Steve said now louder and harsher than before. Thor chuckled condescendingly. "You must be truly desperate to be drawn to such a creature."

"Stop this bitch-fight, you are embarrassing!” Tony put in while the Kitten snuck away towards the elevator without any of the three man noticing.  
“You have no saying in this, Stark.” Thor replied ignorantly but Tony wouldn't have it. No one cut a Tony Stark short.   
“Well, since you seem to have overlooked the neon sign outside, this is **my** tower and I don't want the two of you trashing it because of some silly fight over a woman!!”   
“We are not!” Thor and Steve said in unison – much to Tony's surprise – and glared at the scientist.   
“Oh come on, of course you are! You fell head over heels for the little, helpless Kitty because of your 'protective-nature'!” Tony yelled at Steve before he turned to Thor, pointing accusingly at the god. “And you are horny whenever you see her but won't admit it because she looks like Reindeer Games – which makes me wonder about your relationship with Loki... did you let him 'wield the hammer'?”

And again, Tony regretted his loose tongue only seconds later, his cunning smile fading instantly when both Steve and Thor were on him. Now they were fighting each other and him too. When the three squabblers were done, half of the living room was trashed and everyone had some bruises here and there. Thor sat alone outside on the balcony, his head throbbing from the Captain's mean sidewinder as he watched the streets of New York at night. Besides the slight pain, his mind was plagued by confusing thoughts and he pondered over Tony's words for quite a while, not sure if there was some truth in them after all. Although Thor had envied Loki for his elegant looks, he had loved him as a brother, always, and there was nothing more. Honestly, Thor didn't know why exactly he acted so out of control when the Kitten was around, why his fury took the better of him several times. He remembered how he had loomed above her with his hammer ready to strike, her tiny body shaking in fear which had pleased him. And in the next moment, his mind would torture him with pictures of her naked form, posing playfully before him, those emerald eyes sparkling seductively while a sly smirk graced her lips.

_Just like Loki..._ The god shook his head wildly to get rid of these images and stood up again. He needed some rest now, although he dreaded the dreams he might have tonight.

 


	6. More pain

Bruce was doing the last stitch when the doors of the elevator opened, revealing a sad looking small woman. Clint and Bruce turned fully to her when they noticed that she didn't dare to come closer. Now that she had calmed down her claws were gone, dried blood still sticking to her fingers. But she was definitely the innocent frightened woman again. _She thinks we are scared of her now..._ Clint thought and extended a hand to the Kitten. "It's alright, come." he said in a kind voice as if he was talking to a child that feared punishment and gestured encouragingly with his hand. She obeyed and walked cautiously over, one hand slung around her waist shyly, her long tail brushing over the floor at each step. "Don't worry, Kitten. Nat's gonna be ok. Look, I've finished sewing the wound and now she needs some rest." Bruce explained while he cleaned the skin around the wound and put the bloody surgical instruments into a nearby sink. The Kitten looked at Natasha, who was lying unconsciously on the metal table, hoping that what the nice man had said was true before her gaze fell to the floor. She felt terrible, now that she realized what she had done to those other humans. She was merely protecting her beloved red-head and now the others thought of her as a monster, an abomination as Thor had called her. _Thor... he hates me..._

***

As he had foreseen, Thor was haunted in his dreams. He was walking down a vast corridor in the golden palace of Asgard, but he couldn't remember how he got here the first place. With each step the sound of joyful chattering and music drew nearer and Thor followed the noise until he stood in the great ball room, which was dim-lit by torches and flooded with guests. _A feast..._ Thor wondered as he walked trough the drinking and cheering crowd but soon he realized it was more of an orgy than a noble banquet. Every woman present was clad in scarcely nothing, their lovely bodies covered only by translucent dresses and they all stared hungrily at the god as he passed. Suddenly, two of the Aesir beauties took hold of his arms, their hands traveling across his flesh like snakes and they gently led him in the middle of the room towards a large four poster bed. Knowing that some sort of pleasure would await him, Thor didn't resist and let them guide him. He was excited and aroused by the anticipation of the delight to come, the women at his sides giggling sweetly before they started undressing him. One layer of his armor after another fell from him and the lovely ladies caressed each spot of new revealed skin, his massive arms, his broad chest then his rippled abdomen until he wore nothing but his underpants – which had become terribly restrictive recently.

Thor closed his eyes as he enjoyed their dirty handcraft, hoping that one of the slender hands would get lost under the last piece of cloth. But much to his dislike, none touched him where he needed it the most and when he opened his eyes again, groaning in frustration, he noticed that the bed wasn't empty anymore. Wearing only some luxurious pieces of jewelry around her neck and wrists, like golden cuffs, the black-haired woman writhed on the sheets, her slim naked body rubbing against the cream silk while her tail wiggled banteringly in the air. The light of the torches tinted her golden scales in a warm orange, a strong contrast to her emerald green eyes which stared longingly at the blonde. She remained silent but there was no need for words since she issued an invitation by spreading her legs widely for the god in front of her. Thor gulped as he felt the flaring heat down his loins.    
"She's all yours, your highness." a woman at his side purred and together with three other beauties they gently pushed him forward onto the large bed. On all fours he loomed above the black-haired vixen, her slender hands brushing across his muscular chest and Thor groaned at her touch. This time she wasn't afraid of him and wouldn't run – he wouldn't let her escape him anyways.   
"Yes, you are mine..." he said, smirking darkly and suddenly her arms were above her head, chained to the bed at the wrists and Thor leaned down to suck at her small breasts, grazing her nipple with his teeth. Her moans spurned his desire, urging him on to pursue his selfish will.  Harshly his hands roamed over her small body, across her breasts and butt until he grabbed her firmly at the hips, positioning her before he rammed himself into her tight wetness. At a fast pace he penetrated her while he pinned her down with his weight and soon he moaned too.   
"Oh yes .. Thor.." he heard her whisper between groans but her voice sounded awfully familiar.   
"Take me, ravish me ... Thor, my brother..."    
Thor looked down and realized horrified that it was Loki who writhed beneath him, his cheeks blushed lovely, his green eyes fluttering shut, as he obviously enjoyed his sibling inside him.   
"Loki?!" Thor said and stopped but the Trickster slung his legs around him, keeping him inside.    
"Thor, my dear, don't stop..." he whined and took Thor's face in his hands.    
"But this is wrong! We are brothers and you..." Thor began, confusion spreading across his expressions as he didn't understand all this.   
"Shhhh. Just give in to your hungry desire. Enough longing and grieving." Loki whispered into his ear, his breath tickling the blonde and with his legs and arms he pulled Thor closer and his throbbing cock further inside.   
"Satisfy your needs, brother, and take me... I know you want it." Loki brought his own hip up, pressing against Thor's who groaned before he obeyed and continued to move. Each thrust was harder and deeper than the last and both men moaned loudly. 

  
"Loki!" Thor screamed when he hit his apex, shoving himself deep inside one last time, his eyes closed. And when the waves of pleasure vanished he looked down to find the Kitten sprawled out before him, neither moving nor breathing. Thor's eyes widened in horror as he saw the dark blood gushing from a large wound on her belly, spoiling and drenching the sheets beneath.   
"What in the Nine...?!" Thor got up immediately, looking for help but the large room was empty and dark now.   
"You killed her, just like you killed me!" Loki hissed while he gently brushed through the woman's hair. Her head rested in his lap on the bed now, her eyes shut and Loki stared at Thor accusingly before he shouted.   
"YOU KILLED HER LIKE YOU KILLED ME!" "What? No, I didn't kill you! Loki!" Thor yelled back but he couldn't take a step closer to the bed. The blood-flow wouldn't stop, it only became more and more until the whole floor was covered with it. The red liquid climbed up Thor's legs quickly, reaching his chest merely seconds later.   
"Loki!" he shouted but the Trickster and the woman were gone as was the bed. There was only the red sea of blood, filling his lungs and drowning the god, silencing his cries for his brother.

 

Thor sat up abruptly, panting and sweating while his heart beat wildly in his chest. It took several minutes for him to realize that he was awake now, sitting in his darkened bedroom and that this horrible occurrence had been a dream – a nightmare, to be correct.  With the back of his hand he wiped the pearls of sweat on his forehead away and sighed in relief. _It was just a dream..._ he thought but then he remembered the details, how he had sex with the Kitten – no, with Loki – and how wonderful it felt. Thor blushed furiously in embarrassment. _Why would I dream about bedding Loki? With such a strange ending. And why can I recall every second of the dream so_ _precisely_ _?_ After twenty minutes of intense brooding, sleep overwhelmed the god once more and he drifted off into a deep, dreamless slumber.

***

The next morning, Tony surveyed the damage of his living room and cursed himself for provoking Steve and Thor. "Jarvis, damage report!"  "Sir, nothing too dramatical. The cost of repairing will be about 87.000 dollars." the AI replied and Tony sighed, had he hoped to get off lightly. "Set everything in motion. I want it done until Friday."  "Yes, Sir." Before he left he let his gaze roam over the place once more and when he saw the blood stains of the agents who had fought the Kitten on the floor, he paused. _She is dangerous after all. But she only did it to save Nat and Clint..._ Tony was impressed by her skills and admittedly, that tail looked somewhat hot on her. Which reminded him of the bitch-fight last night and that he needed to keep an eye on Steve and Thor, otherwise he would need to rebuild the tower at the end of the month.

When Tony entered the kitchen, Steve was already making ham and eggs but he paused when he noticed his friend.  
"I'm so sorry about last night. I don't know what came over me..." Steve said after a long awkward silence and Tony smiled at him.   
"Nah, don't bother, Capsicle! You're not the first man who lost it because of a woman!" Tony replied casually while he poured himself some coffee.    
"I didn't -" Steve wanted to protest but the billionaire wouldn't let him. Instead he slung one arm around Steve's shoulders in a brotherly way.   
"Stop denying it! It's ok. And I think she's only good for you – but you need to keep her away from Thor, of course... " he said and loosened his grip to sip at his coffee. "She's cute and silent – a rare quality among women – and I can only wonder what she's capable of doing with her tail..."    
"Tony!"   
The scientist winked at the perplexed Captain before he sat down at the dining table and played with his phone.  Rolling his eyes, Steve turned back to the stove when Bruce and the Kitten came out of the elevator, the little woman stretching and yawning.   
"Where do you come from?" Tony asked without looking up from his phone.    
"I was just checking on Natasha and found the Kitten sleeping next to her on the floor. She never left her side." Bruce explained while he sat down beside Tony.  
"How is she?"   
"Fine, actually. She's still sleeping down in my lab because moving her was too risky but she should wake up soon." Bruce explained while he read some newspaper. Decoyed by the smell of roasting ham, the black-haired woman walked over to Steve and watched him curiously.   
"Good morning. Seems like someone's hungry." he said kindly, his heart warming up at her sweet smile.   
"Have you figured out why Jarvis didn't warn us about the Hydra attack?" Bruce's question finally caused Tony to avert his gaze from the game on his phone and he looked annoyingly at the other man.   
"Nope, they must have turned his firewall down for a few minutes but I doubt that Hydra's staff had the required qualifications for that task."   
"So you think they got help?" Bruce asked but Tony only shrugged, his attention already back at his game.   
"Probably, but who would help those douchebags?" 

"Ok, breakfast is ready but you should change your clothes first." Steve said to the Kitten and pointed at her blood stained top and skirt. The woman nodded understandingly before she vanished into the hallway, the golden tail wiggling behind her. Quickly she rushed into Natasha's room, undressed and grabbed a dark blue woolen dress with long sleeves which covered most of her scales, except those on her legs of course. In order to please the Captain, she checked her hair in the tall mirror but froze when she saw the Norse god's reflection there, standing behind her in the doorway. When Thor had opened the door to his own room, he had barely noticed the little woman hurrying by in the hallway and without thinking he had followed her. Like in trance he had watched her redress, taking in her golden body in a lovely set of black underwear and because he didn't move an inch nor dared to breathe too deeply, she hadn't noticed him earlier. Now she bared her fangs and seemed ready to fight him, the spike at the end of her tail pointing at the god.

Thor knew it was stupid to come here because the AI would inform the others of his intrusion any moment but he couldn't help thinking of his alluring dream, this splendid heat already spreading inside him again. Much to his torment, his mind produced pictures of her writhing beneath him while he ravished her. Tied to the bed she was a slave to his will and Thor felt a strong desire flame up, urging him on to give in. However, he managed to regain his senses and stormed outside and into his room, harshly banging the door shut behind him.  The Kitten was confused but glad that he left and she didn't waste any time to get back to Steve and his delicious ham and eggs. Unsure of what had overcome him and slightly horrified how close he was to giving in, Thor sat on his bed, his face buried in his large hands. 

_"Take me, ravish me ... Thor, my brother...!"_

_"Satisfy your needs, brother, and take me... I know you want it."_

_This is wrong! She looks like Loki but..._ He thought to himself, his head throbbing because of the conflict in his mind. _But I desire her..._ The realization hit him hard, like a dagger being stabbed through his heart. _I desire her..._

_"You killed me like you killed her!"_

He remembered that scene of the dream quite vividly, her blood covering the sheets while Loki gently stroked her hair before they all drowned, and Thor shuddered violently.  _It was just a dream... just a dream..._ he thought to himself but all he could think about was the pair of emerald green orbs.

 


	7. No pain, no gain

Odin paced back and forth in his study, waiting impatiently for the report of the smiths whom he had given the pieces of the golden sphere to analyze. No metal was unknown to them and even from the tiniest shard they could identify where it originated and how it had been forged. A knock on the door announced that the dwarves were finished and a small, bulgy man entered the study, the golden pieces and a document in hand.  
“The report of the smiths, my king.” the dwarf said as he handed the All-Father the items, keeping his gaze low in respect. Odin took the document and gestured for the man to put the pieces on the heavy desk while his one eye scanned the dwarfish scribbling hastily. Barely did the king notice how the dwarf bowed and left, he was too focused and deep in thoughts. The parchment told in detail how the golden pieces out of fine vanadium from the Asgardian mountains had been forged in an ancient and complex way, a craft which only few smiths possessed, and that they were at least as old as Odin himself. While reading, Odin walked towards his desk and observed the pieces once more. Then he put the parchment down and opened one of the many books he had fetched from the grand library to decipher the engravings, although he already had a vague idea of their meaning. _As if Thor would have_ _ever_ _been able to read them..._ _That dim-witted oaf..._ _What an interesting creature_ _this woman is._ He thought to himself and decided that he had to see her in person sooner or later. As his one eye scanned over the fine lines, a smile spread across his wrinkled face, sly and malicious, so unlike the old wise king and only for the briefest of moments his steel grey eye sparkled emerald green.

***  
  
Over the past few days, Thor had avoided the black-haired woman as best as he could and had spent most of the time in the training area of the tower. Clint or Natasha would join him for two or three hours but Thor stayed the longest, had he no intention to run into Steve or the Kitten and his troubled mind demanded for physical exertion.  
At lunch, the god was about to devour a large pile of food when Clint and the Kitten entered the kitchen area. Against his better knowledge, Thor clandestinely watched as they prepared some food for themselves and he noticed how well fitting the Kitten's lilac sundress was, how the hem floated lovely around her knees and how banteringly her tail wiggled in the air, just like in his dream. Thor shuddered to keep his mind from remembering and grabbed his plate before he stormed off into his room. He was so confused about all this and the answers seemed well hidden from him. At least the way he felt around the Kitten lately told him that he desired her – he craved for her like a dog would a piece of steak. _But does that mean I desire Loki too?_ _Or is it him whom I wanted all along and because I can't have him I feel drawn to her instead?_ He wondered while he shoved the food into his mouth and by the time he was done with eating a nap was in order.

***  
  
Later that day, Thor stood once again in the large training room where he practiced with his hammer before he would move on. Suddenly the automatic metal door slid open and Steve came in, clad in his work-out clothes and ready for some weight training. Both men nodded at each other as a greeting and Thor resumed his training silently, although he felt rather awkward and a little guilty. Also Steve suffered from the dispute between them as he was the type of guy who couldn't bare if a friend of him was pissed and thus he decided to break the ice with something they both enjoyed.  
“Hey, Thor. Mind helping me with the weights?” he said casually as if nothing was amiss and the god hesitated for a moment before he walked over to the barbell area. “Sure, I will join you.” Thor replied and positioned himself behind the bench so that he could help the Captain out if the weight was too much. In fact, if the barbell would fall onto the floor it would probably crash through two more floors as heavy as it was loaded. Both men lifted the barbell several times, grunting and sweating and the awkward tension slowly faded away.  
“Look, Thor, I don't like how things are between us.” Steve began during Thor's break and looked down at the god who lay panting heavily on the bench. “We are friends and I want it to stay that way.” he added and Thor nodded.  
“Yes, we are. … I am sorry for acting the way I did but you must know that the fact that she could be from Asgard and looks... like Loki distresses me a lot.” _Not to mention_ _that I dreamed of bedding her_ _..._  
“But you know that she's no danger now?” Steve asked cautiously and Thor's jaw clenched slightly, indicating that he wasn't sure what to think of her. “I mean she protected Nat and Clint and fought with us.” The Captain added while they switched places but since Thor remained silent he decided not to press any further. Instead he lifted the barbell again while the god watched and pondered.  


“Come on, my friend! You almost got it!” Thor encouraged the other man whose arms were shaking due to the burden they were lifting, when suddenly the Kitten entered the room and walked towards them. Curiously she watched as Steve heaved the barbell up, how his chest rose and fell from the heavy breathing and how every muscle of his arms were tensed. Thor noticed her staring, the way she admired Steve's strength and was immediately jealous – although he wouldn't admit it – so he put some more weight onto the bar before he lay down on the bench himself. While he lifted, the Kitten only looked quickly at him and the main time she smiled at Steve who stood behind the bench. When it was Steve's turn again and he managed to move the same weight as Thor, the Kitten clapped several times and her smile widened when he was finished with this set.   
“You like to see me puffing, don't you?” the Captain teased her and she chuckled sweetly. Thor increased the weight again and although he puffed and grunted she didn't pay him much attention.  


After another three rounds of lifting, both men were completely drained of their strength and needed to call it a day.   
“And now comes the best part of every training: the shower!” Steve cheered while he wiped the sweat on his arms and neck away with a towel.   
“That we are both in dire need of but the best part by far is the feasting!” Thor replied while he pulled the completely wet t-shirt over his head, revealing the steeled muscled beneath. Now the Kitten couldn't help but behold the god in front of her, sweat glistening on his broad jacked chest and his rippled abdomen, but she quickly averted her eyes and walked towards the door, followed by the two men. And as if it couldn't become more awkward, they took the elevator together, the Kitten standing between the huge guys and all of a sudden the elevator wasn't that large anymore. All it took for their bodies to touch was shifting his weight onto the other side and the proximity caused Thor's mind to go mad with indecent thoughts. For the first time, Thor was glad that Steve was present because the god wasn't sure if he could resist the temptation in front of him otherwise.   
“Now that was an intense training...” Steve assessed and sighed as he felt how sore his muscles already were. “Indeed.” Thor replied, trying to sound relaxed while he focused on the metal buttons on the side of the elevator. Suddenly, he felt something soft touching his right leg, only briefly but he didn't miss it and when he looked down he realized that it had been the Kitten's golden tail, which wrapped itself around her leg now, he shuddered.   
“Your floor, Sirs.” Jarvis announced and saved Thor from this awkward situation as they all exited the elevator now, the god walking behind Steve and the woman.  
“Hey guys, ready for some spectacular steaks?” Bruce asked while he rummaged in the kitchen and as soon as the delicious smell of roasted meat reached their noses, Thor and Steve nodded in unison.  
  
Cooking had always been his favorite hobby beside science and Bruce enjoyed it even more now that he had friends who loved his meals and praised him for it – especially Thor, who could eat like a bottomless pit, as he did tonight. Considering his appetite, Bruce had cooked more than enough for the team and could only smile at the god while he devoured the steak.  
“Want more?” Bruce asked when Thor and Steve were finished with their second plates and Tony watched in amusement how they eagerly nodded like famished wolves.  
“So you two are buddies again?” Tony said while he sipped at his wine.  
“Guess so. Jealous?” Steve retorted, his voice distorted because of his half-full mouth.  
“No way. I won't stand in the way, muscle-guys.” Tony said and Clint chuckled before he got up to bring Natasha some food. She was still recovering and her wound only healed slowly but being a tough assassin she was already in cheerful spirits.  
“A warrior has to keep up his physique for battle, but that is something you have no need of, man of iron.” Thor put in but Tony wasn't impressed. “It's Iron Man, for the thousandth-time! And you know how well I can kick someone's ass with my suit.” Amongst many things, denigrating his suit and his efforts was something Tony hated and thus he pouted while he stabbed his steak with the fork.

***  
  
The Kitten sat on the bed beside the sleeping red-head and watched over her while the other Avengers were out on a mission. SHIELD had discovered another Hydra base in Sweden and sent the team to destroy and secure it. Thus the little female was left behind but she had no problem with solitude and enjoyed the temporary silence in the tower.  
“Hey little kitten...” Natasha whispered when she slowly opened her eyes and saw the other woman beside her. The painkillers clouded her mind slightly, slowing down her thoughts and reactions but Natasha remembered pretty well how the Kitten had protected her.  
“You fought like a wild tiger, I'm impressed.” She said but the Kitten didn't smile.   


"I'm sorry..." Her voice was soft and pleading, as was the expression of her face, her emerald eyes large and watery while she hugged herself and wrapped her tail shyly around her left leg. Natasha innerly melted at the sweet sight. "I.. I just wanted to help... not scare you..." she added, averting her eyes and the red-head couldn't believe what she heard.  
“I know and what you did was very brave. You just protected me and Clint, nobody is scared of you!" Natasha replied and put her hand onto the Kitten's to reassure her. “So you ca n speak?" she added, not hiding her surprise and the Kitten nodded.   
"A little... it takes time to figure your language out... " Due to  Nat's words she was more relaxed and was ready to face the many questions  she would throw at her any moment.  
" Would you like to tell me something about you? "  Despite being curious as hell, Nat managed to keep her voice calm since she didn't want to put pressure on the little woman, as the assassin had experienced it in the many interrogations she had been through. As she had predicted, the Kitten would speak once she warmed up to her and Natasha was proud to be the first one she opened up to – well, except Steve maybe.  
“I... I don't know what I am... nor who I am or my purpose in this world. I can only remember a blue nothingness followed by this horrible pain before I was born out of that sphere."   
"You mean Thor's lightning? You felt that?!" Nat couldn't believe this, had she assumed that he metal had shielded her from th e god's attack.  _That must have been excruciating pain..._ she thought and the Kitten simply nodded.   
“I'm gonna kill him!” Nat was furious and no painkiller or sedative could diminish her boiling rage right now. But then she looked at the Kitten and realized that it would only worsen the situation if she started another fight with the god and decided to talk to him in private and when she had calmed down. For now there was another topic she needed to address.  
“So what's  the deal with you and Steve?”  The red-head asked boldly, her voice leaking of  curiosity and the Kitten blushed slightly.  
“Well, we are friends and I like him, I guess. He is sweet, kind and he protects me from Thor like you do.” the little one said and as her mood brightened her tail began wiggling in the air behind her.  
“ From what I noticed, he definitely sees more in you than a friend.” Natasha replied and winked at the other woman. The idea of Steve and the Kitten together was just adorable, especially because Steve had proper manners and wouldn't hurt her.  
“Maybe. … He and Thor are friends again.” the Kitten said and Nat was utterly surprised.  
“Really? How's that?”  
“They trained together today. I watched them and both wanted to impress me with their strength.”  
“Eye-candy, huh? You lucky girl!” Nat cheered and squeezed the Kitten's hand, who blushed as she remembered the panting men in their tight sweat-drenched t-shirts. During the training, she had noticed their competitive behavior and she was flattered by it – who wouldn't? Although her worries were calmed to some degree when Steve was around, she still feared the blonde god and a cold shudder would run down her spine whenever she was in his presence.  As she had noticed today, there  wasn't  pure rage  and hatred in Thor's eyes but something else entirely –  and that scared her even more.

 


	8. Trouble never comes alone

After a long tiresome day, the Avengers returned to the tower from their mission in Sweden. The Hydra base was secured as was all their data and weapons and as soon as SHIELD took over, the team made its way home. Throughout the mission, the black-haired woman had been on his mind and during the long flight from Sweden to New York, Thor pondered once more over the dream and all that had happened since the little female appeared.   
It was already dark when the jet landed on the platform of Stark Tower and the prospect of his cozy bed was so alluring that Tony almost overheard his AI informing him on what happened in his absence. They all stepped closer to the monitor to have a better look on the footage which showed Natasha and the Kitten – talking. For peace's sake, Jarvis stopped the record before the two women in the video would chat about Steve and Thor but the Avengers were already rushing through the hallway towards Natasha's room.

“There's a think called knocking!” Natasha hissed and pulled the blanket further up when the five men stormed in, scaring her and the Kitten who immediately jumped to her feet.   
“Never heard of it... But calm your titties, it's not about you.“ Tony remarked and walked further into the room. “Jarvis showed us your little chitchat earlier today. Now sing for us, Kitty!” His tone gave away his impatience and Nat sensed that this could go in the wrong direction if she didn't interfere.  
“Then you should already know that she can't tell us anything, right kitten?” The black-haired woman averted her glaring gaze from the scientist to look at the smiling assassin, her kind voice calming her nerves. Then she nodded and turned towards the men again.   
“I don't know anything about myself.” Her beautiful voice was calm and determined, ringing in Thor's ears long after she spoke. _I failed to interrogate her alone..._ he thought and decided that it would not matter anymore if he did so now.   
“Does the name Loki sound familiar to you? Have you ever met somebody else except us?” he asked and slowly stepped closer as not to scare her – in vain since her eyes narrowed at the god, sparkling dangerously as a warning to keep some distance.  
“I've heard you speak of this person before but neither did I met him nor do I have any memories of what was before my time in the sphere.” she replied while her eyes stayed glued to the blonde who still held his hammer, causing a chill to run down her spine. Admittedly, her answer was disappointing as they all had hoped to learn more about her but at least she had no connection to the Trickster. _But what if this is part of the plan? Maybe she is possessed by Loki's magic?_ Thor wondered but kept his thoughts to himself, knowing that he wouldn't receive a satisfying answer.  
“Ok guys, she told you everything. Could you please leave now.” Natasha suddenly said, trying to end this tensed situation and to get some rest but Tony and Thor hesitated. “Come on, we are all tired so let's call it a day.” Steve said and put his hand on Tony's shoulder, encouraging him to let it be for tonight and Tony sighed before he finally walked away. “Fine... Sorry for bothering you, Kitty but I was curious.” he added while he yawned and followed Clint and Bruce outside. Thor lingered for a moment, staring warily at the woman before he left too, hoping to receive a message from his father soon.  


***  
  
The fact that the Kitten was able to communicate after all didn't change much in the Avenger's everyday life because most of the time she remained silent, only speaking when asked a question. After a long debate at breakfast, Tony and Bruce had accepted that there was nothing they could do to gather more information and that they would have to wait for Odin's report. But waiting has never been Tony's strong suit, as it wasn't Thor's, but at least the scientist could distract himself by working down in his lab. Focusing his genius mind entirely on the scepter, he would soon find a way to reveal the secrets behind it.  
  
In the meantime,  the Kitten stood alone on the balcony, the sun light sparkling in the tips of her raven-hair  and on the exposed golden scales,  when Steve walked up to her. It was a truly bright day but her expressions seemed sad and full of concern as he noticed,  her emerald eyes staring into the distance.   
“Everything alright?” he asked as he stood beside her, looking down on the busy streets of New York. A gently breeze brushed through her hair and caused her pale blue dress to sway, floating lovely around her body. She chose to wear dresses because of her tail, Steve assumed, as t hey provided more space than any trouser would , and  as old-fashioned as he was, Steve very much approved of  that fact .   
“I'm sorry for molesting you yesterday but we were all so curious to learn more about you.” Steve added when she remained silent, hoping that things were still fine between them.  
“What a disappointment I am.” she replied  monotonously , her gaze still roaming over the city.  
“No, you're not! It's not you fault that you can't remember anything! Tony just lacks any sense of tact...” he protested, turned towards her and smiled when she finally looked at him.  
“Thanks for your protection. You are very sweet, Steve.”  She returned his smile and gently put her hand on his left arm, the mere touch sending sparks through Steve's entire body. “I still fear Thor and his lightning, the pain he unleashed upon me, but not when you are around.” she added and Steve's face became blank in shock at her words, had he too assumed that the sphere had shielded her from the attack.  
“No one will hurt you again, I promise. I would do anything for you.” he whispered before he pulled her closer and hugged her, pressing her tiny body against his large chest, feeling the warmth radiating from her.  _I won't let Thor near you again...._   


***  
  
Thor sat casually at the dining table, devouring another delicious meal made by Bruce while the two scientists discussed Tony's latest project. Although he listened intently, the god couldn't follow their conversation –Tony mentioned something called 'artificial intelligence' and a lot of other technical terms Thor wasn't familiar with – so it didn't elude his eyes when the Captain stood up and walked down the corridor to Natasha's room, a plate of food in hand. _He pretends to solely deliver the meal but it is the other woman's presence he seeks,_ Thor thought grimly and continued eating. 

The Kitten sat beside Nat on the bed while Steve had brought over a chair for himself and the three of them chatted joyfully. The Captain told them about the latest mission in Sweden and how they beat some Hydra agent's asses while Natasha ate.  
“Sounds like quite a spectacular fight.” the assassin remarked in a sceptic tone.   
“Well maybe I exaggerated at some point. It was definitely not as dramatic as the Kitten's fight here in the tower.” After the attack, the others who haven't seen the fight because they were occupied by agents themselves had watched the footage Jarvis had recorded and Steve was really impressed.  
“Now you exaggerate again.” the black-haired woman replied while Natasha had an idea.  
“By the way, do you like your name or would you prefer to change it?” she said with her mouth half-full and the Kitten blinked in confusion.  
“What's wrong with my name? Why would I change it?”  
“'Kitten' is no actual name, you know, it's more of a term of endearment.” Steve explained and the little female pondered for a moment.   
“Oh … Why don't you chose a name for me?”  
“Hm, let me think...” Leaning forward in his chair, Steve eyed the woman thoroughly while his mind went through an imaginary list of all the names he ever heard.  
“How about '_______'?” he finally suggested and a smile spread across the black-haired woman's face. The way her new name passed his lips appealed to her and she nodded.  
Sensing the romance between them, Natasha decided to go to the bathroom and give them some privacy.  
“Do you need help with that?” Steve asked, always eager to assist but Nat protested only chuckled.   
“Don't you dare follow me.” she said and winked at the Captain who grasped the reason why she left right away.  
“Understood, ma'am.”  
As soon as the red-head had left, Steve didn't waste a moment and stood up to walk around the bed where _____ sat, watching his every move. She had no idea what he was about to do but smiled nonetheless at the man in front of her when he suddenly leaned down and kissed her.  
  
  
***  
  
Finally Tony had managed to persuade Bruce and Clint to accompany him to the charity event of Pepper's company as he loathed to be alone at such festivities. Pepper had organized every detail of the party thoroughly and booked one of the most exclusive night-clubs of New York to attract generous guests. Much to Tony's surprise, her plan succeeded as he noted how crowded the location was.   
“How long do we have to stay exactly?” Bruce almost shouted into Tony's ear because of the loud music, feeling uncomfortable amongst so many other people.  
“Keep calm, Mr. Hide and have another drink!” Tony replied while he grabbed two glasses of champaign from a passing waitress and handed Bruce one of them. Actually, Tony enjoyed himself and let his gaze roam through the crowd of guests in search for a pretty woman he could flirt with – not seriously of course, he was in a relationship with Pepper. But his ego required regular admiration and flattering from others, a fact Pepper was well aware of.  
“What about that one?” Knowing what the billionaire was up to, Clint pointed at a hot blondie who was currently talking to two elder men in business suits.  
“No, those are Peppers CFO and CIO, both terribly boring and philistine. Also, she's not my type... “ Tony replied when suddenly someone bumped into him and Bruce.   
“Oh, sorry!”   
Perplexed the scientists turned to look at a very pretty brunette in a black dress combined with high black boots and a ruby red leather jacket, who winked at them cunningly before she walked on and vanished in the crowd, her long hair swaying gently as did the many pendants around her neck.  
“That's more my type...Young and wild.” Tony said and sipped at his drink while Clint nodded, but since she was gone already he didn't waste another thought on her. As did Bruce but somehow he felt strangely dizzy although he had barely consumed any alcohol.  
  
***  
  
The alarming voice of the AI woke the Norse god from his deep slumber in the middle of the night and reluctantly he sat up, yawning. But after he listened to what had happened, Thor immediately summoned his hammer, along with his armor, and stormed outside, followed by Steve. Jarvis had received an urgent message from his creator to send for them because Bruce had lost control over himself and now the Hulk rampaged outside the night-club, trashing cars and buildings in his path. Unfortunately, Natasha, who could successfully calm Bruce down, was still too weak to be exposed to such danger and thus Steve insisted that she stayed behind with ______.   
When Thor and Steve arrived at the scene of destruction, citizens were running hasty past them while the sirens of the police cars echoed through the streets. Then they spied the Hulk who was busy fighting off Clint and Tony, who already wore his suit and flew around the great green guy.  
While Steve tried to rescue some civilians, Thor joined the other two and together they tried to get the Hulk out of the city.  
  
After hours of fighting and impelling their friend with all means possible, the Hulk finally fled from them and when he reached the borders of the city he was so exhausted that he turned back to normal. Panting and naked he lay in a front yard of a suburban house when Thor and Tony landed beside him.  
"If you wanted to leave the party you could have just said so, no need to turn green!" Tony quipped while he handed the other scientist a blanket, averting his eyes from his nakedness.  
"I'm so sorry... I have no idea why this happened so suddenly.." Bruce replied quietly, rubbing his throbbing head while he slung the blanket around his waist. He had been so calm the entire day and there hadn't been anything upsetting at the party. So why did he loose control and changed?   
"Let's get you home – I need some sleep!" Without asking, Tony helped Bruce to his feet and then grabbed him tightly before he took off, followed by the god. Steve and Clint were already on their way.

As they approached the tower, Thor narrowed his eyes because even from afar he could see smoke coming from the shattered glass front and his stomach twisted at the sight. When he landed on the trashed floor which used to contain the kitchen area, the knot inside him tightened and he quickly walked across the room towards the hallway, shattered glass scrunching beneath his feet.  "Natasha?" he called as he warily opened the door to her room, oppressing silence surrounding him. Thor gulped at the sight. In the darkness, only illuminated dimly by the light of the moon, the red-head lay on the floor near the wall, her arms twisted and her eyes closed while her grey shirt was already black from all the blood it absorbed but there was still a large puddle beneath her. Without hesitation Thor picked her up and carried her outside, shouting for Bruce to help him.

Still in his suit, Tony stood in the dark tower and looked around, illuminating the room with the flashlight of his suit. Apparently, the attackers had cut the tower's power supply off which meant that Jarvis was gone too. While he surveyed the damage around him he noticed distinctive traces of a fight as there were deep scratches in the walls along with large holes and splashes of dried blood covered the both floor and walls like a painting. Tony was furious because whoever managed to break into his fortress had at the same time badly hurt his ego – he wouldn't forgive that. But for now he shallowed his anger and descended the hidden staircase down to his lab to activate the emergency generator.  "Jarvis?" he called when the power was back on and half-way stabilized but nothing happened.  "Jarvis?!" Then he heard footsteps coming down the staircase. "The tower is clear." Clint said when he and Thor entered the lab and Tony nodded, being too concerned about his AI to reply at once but then he thought about the assassin. "How's Nat?"  "Bruce is still tending to her wounds and he promised she would be alright. ... But we have another problem." Thor replied and paused, the seriousness of his voice causing the other three man to look at him. "She's gone."   
Clint and Tony were confused but by the way the gods gaze lingered on him, Steve realized at once whom Thor was referring to.  


"You mean ____? Damned... " the Captain said, clutching his hair in frustration as he hadn't been there to protect her – he failed to keep his promise and now she was in he hands of god knows whom. Worries filled his mind, sickening his every thought and he feared for her wellbeing.   
Thor was surprised about her new name, which was better than the old one, and assumed that either Natasha or Steve had chosen it for her. Before jealousy had a chance to blossom inside him, Thor squashed it mentally and pondered on how to proceed as he too was worried for the black-haired woman. _Midgardians tend to react aggressive towards any race that is not their own. But how could anyone know she was at the tower?  
_ "We must find her!" Steve almost shouted while he frantically paced the room, concern written clearly across his face. In the meantime, Tony had managed to reboot Jarvis and with a crackling voice the AI greeted his master. "Jarvis, any sign of our Kitty?" Tony asked and the AI scanned every room within the large tower and tapped every security camera within two miles. "I'm sorry but she seems to have vanished, Sir. And my records of the past three hours will take some time to recover."   


"Shit..." Tony muttered and wondered which other genius had managed to cause so much damage to the tower's system, which he had believed wasn't crackable.  
Now that his hopes of finding ____ soon were crushed by the invisible voice, Thor was furious as he feared that she had some kind of connection to Loki or some other evil after all. Whoever kidnapped her must have known about her true powers – maybe even her identity – and probably planned to use her against the Avengers. _I shouldn't have left..._ Thor cursed himself mentally, realizing that the whole emergency concerning Bruce must have been a set up to distract the team, luring them outside the tower for the real assault to take place.  
“Did anything happen at the party that had upset Bruce?” Thor asked to prove his theory but both Tony and Clint shook their heads.   
“No, nothing.. he didn't drink much and we were just chatting, looking out for some pretty women – wait a minute!” Clint replied, his eyes widening when he remembered one specific detail. “There was this hottie in the red leather jacket who bumped into Bruce!”   
“She had a nice butt... you think it was her?” Tony remarked cunningly and looked up from his computer to the archer.  
“I guess so. Bruce lost it only a couple of minutes after we met her.” Clint assessed and they all had one more thing to worry about as none of them had any clue who this mysterious woman was.  
“Great...” Steve muttered while he continued pacing the room, which extremely unnerved Tony who tried to speed up the recovering process of the footage while Thor and Clint were engaged in a heated debate about whose fault it was that _____ was kidnapped. But they all were interrupted when two ravens fluttered through the shattered windows, their wings as black as night and their eyes sparkling, and landed on a metal table, the tiny golden rings on their feet glistening in the moonlight. The men fell silent at once and Thor hastily walked over when one of the ravens started to speak.  


“The All-Father summons you and the woman at once.” it croaked. “It is urgent!” the other added and Thor sighed deeply. 

_Dam_ _n_ _ed..._

 


	9. What you are

With his gaze glued to the cold stone floor, Thor stood before the king of Asgard, his father, while the afternoon-sun tinted the study in orange and gold. On a golden bar near the window sat Hugin and Munin, the black ravens which had accompanied the prince from Midgard, watching the upcoming conversation intently.  
“The smiths have analyzed the metal pieces thoroughly as I have studied the engravings and the results are quite surprising as you will assess.” Odin said calmly, his one eye resting on the blonde god while the parchment rustled in his wrinkled hands. “But before I shall enlighten you, tell me if there have been any changes to her physique lately?”   
Thor cleared his throat and finally looked up as be replied. “Golden scales are covering her body now and she has grown a long tale, claws and fangs which she is not afraid to use.” The las part caused Odin to raise a brow suspiciously as it sounded as if there had been an incident involving a fight recently but that was beside the point now.   
“Good, these alterations fit to my theory.” Odin almost smirked which confused Thor even more than his words. “I am no man of great patience, father. What is she?” Now Odin did smirk for a brief second but regained his serious composure quickly before he replied.  
“As you might remember from your lessons, thousands of years ago, the five spirits of nature wandered in our world, protecting fauna and flora from evil. They were known for their great powers but only very few Aesir had the opportunity to lay eyes on one of them as they were very shy and well-hidden. During the war between Vanir and Aesir, the former king of Asgard hunted down those spirits and had them fight for his cause, forcing them to use their powers to bring death and destruction.” 

Thor had learned about that specific war and knew how many dead had covered the earth of Asgard in its wrath. Never before had there been such a devastating war between realms and thanks to Odin there would never be again. However, Thor didn't grasp the relevance of this tale yet, which he had mostly forgotten and wondered what his father was up to. Thus he listened intently as the older man continued.  
“But even after the victory, the king selfishly kept the spirits as pets and relished in their beauty as he watched them in their golden cages. With each year of imprisonment however, the spirits lost their vital energy and their powers faded steadily until one died after another. In his grief the king realized what horrible crime he had committed and granted the last living spirit eternal life and youth through a cycle of reincarnation. Each time the spirit would be reborn, she would be more beautiful than before and each time her physique and looks would be such as to please the current king, whom she was still deemed to serve. During the reign of my father, Borr, she died in another war but the king had mercy on her and locked her in a golden sphere burdened with a spell that only one of his successors would be able to wake her and call for her service. She was to rest in peace until Asgard was in need of her powers.” 

Odin paused and put the parchment down, his words echoing in his son's ears, while the wise god read out loud the translation of the engravings: “Sons of Borr, who seek this source of power, refrain from abuse as this is the last one of her kind and remember her tale. Respect nature and she will kneel before you.”  
Thor was perplexed as he realized that it was ________ this tale referred to and wide eyed he stared at the golden pieces on the desk, the expressions of the king sitting behind them becoming very stern.  
“One of the most powerful beings in the Nine Realms, nature's last spirit has been reborn again due to your presence near her and your lightning, Thor, son of Odin, son of Borr, and you shall bring her to me at once.” Odin looked expectantly at his son, who hesitated to reply as he had hoped to omit the fact that _______ wasn't at the tower anymore, knowing that this would upset his father if mentioned. But now he had no choice as to admit his failure, his lack of attention and with a small voice he replied.

“I will but I'm afraid to tell you that she has been kidnapped by an unknown enemy.” Thor felt like a little boy confessing that he had broken a precious artifact again and he could literally feel the temperature of the room drop instantly.  
“WHAT?!” Odin roared and rose abruptly, a thick vein appearing on his forehead due to his anger, his one grey eye sparkling dangerously.  
“How could you let this happen?! A great warrior, a prince of Asgard, fails to keep an eye on a woman in a world full of mere humans, what a shame!” he continued, his voice drenched in rage and bitterness as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers, similar to how the fallen prince used to do it, and sighed.  
“Take thirty of my finest warriors and bring her to me.” Odin's one eye sparkled with fury and his command was absolute, leaving no option for another failure.   
“Yes, father.” This time Thor bowed lower than when he had arrived, turned on his heels and left quickly to gather skilled men for the task. As he strode down the golden hallways, he cursed himself for letting somebody snatch ______ away under his nose so easily and his mood darkened as did the clouds in the sky above.

 

***  


 

The first signs of a heavy storm announced the god's arrival at the platform of Stark Tower but none of his friends had expected him to be accompanied by thirty other Aesir, clad in splendid golden armors. The Avengers had gathered in the living room, which was now quite crowded due to the surprise-guests but Thor had no intention to linger as he wanted to find ______ soon.  
“Daddy Odin didn't let his princess leave without body-guards?” Tony quipped, curiously eyeing the silent soldiers in his home while Thor talked to Bruce about what they had found out so far, choosing to ignore the billionaire.  
“In fact, we have a vague idea where she could be. I told you that she emits the same frequency as the scepter and Jarvis could spot exactly this frequency in those mountains here.” Bruce reported, pointing on a map on the laptop, and Thor was more than glad to hear it, as was Steve who stood beside him. From the moment he had spotted the warriors beside the god, he knew they were here for a reason which Steve most likely didn't approve of.  
“What are those men here for, Thor?” He asked bluntly and without hiding his suspicion, causing the god to glare at him warily. With his mood already plummeting, he didn't need a nosy Captain at his side and his mere presence annoyed the god.  
“The All-Father wishes to ensure her safety.” Thor replied sternly and turned to his warriors before Steve had a chance to reply. “Follow me!”  
  
***  
  
Enraged the king of Asgard marched down the hallway, hurrying to get to his private chambers and once he entered and shut the large door behind him, he was engulfed by green light. The shape of an old man vanished to reveal the one of a far younger, handsome man, the splendid royal armor dispersing into green mist and forming one of leather and gold, his raven-black hair floating down his shoulders and his wrinkled skin replaced by a pale, stainless complexion. Here in these rooms, he needed no spell to conceal his true identity as the all-seeing gaze of the nosy gatekeeper was shielded by a spell. Restlessly he paced the salon and pinched the bridge of his nose with his slender fingers, cursing silently. _This dim-witted oaf couldn't watch over a small woman!_ _But at least he found her in the first place, which was probably more luck than thoroughly_ _examination_ _._  
Loki was furious due to Thor's incompetence – as he had been so many times before – and swore to behead the blonde if he failed to fulfill his order. With his brilliant mind Loki had unravelled the truth about the woman quickly and without much effort as he loved such riddles. And since he realized what she was, what powers she had and how crucial those could prove for his plans, he knew that he needed control over her. Yes, he would possess her and make her jump at his whim. Loki's emerald eyes sparkled dangerously with mischief and joy at the mere thought, a sly smirk spreading across his lips. 

_Nature herself will kneel before me_.

 

***  
 _**_ _your POV**_  
  
Slowly I opened my eyes to survey the surroundings but my vision was blurred and needed some time to adjust to the bright white light which flooded every corner of the room. A smell of chemicals mixed with mildew reached my nose while the air was damp and cold, causing me to shiver slightly despite my long grey sweatpants and black top. Without looking I knew I was chained to the wall because some cool metal pressed into my throat, wrists and ankles, restricting any movement painfully. And to extinguish every thought of escape, thick iron bars surrounded me, the space between them too narrow to slip through. On the other side of my cell, several men were staring at their monitors, fingers hurrying over the keyboards, while others hurried around busily. Without making a sound and attracting their attention, I watched the activities, my mind already producing a plan to escape.

Hours had passed and still the humans were working in what I suppose was a lab, similar to the one in Stark Tower. From what I could see, the room had no windows and the only way out was through a huge metal door which could only be opened by inserting a card in a slit next to it. One thing was clear, if I managed to get out of that cage, a fight would be inevitable and who knew what lay behind that heavy door. Additionally, my stomach was already shouting for food and I felt my powers drained by fatigue. The other night those men in black armors had stormed into the tower and tried to kidnap me, which I was able to prevent but then they found Natasha and pressed a gun on her temple. When I was already in chains, weakened by a strange serum they injected me, one of those vile men shot her in her belly nevertheless and they dragged me away.  
 _I hope Nat is alright.._. I thought to myself worriedly and wondered whether the others would come and rescue me. Without doubt, Steve would search for me, but regarding the rest of the team I wasn't sure, especially Thor who wanted me dead anyways. The memories of how he had loomed above me with his hammer the very moment I was born, ready to end my live before it had even begun, and the paralyzing fear I felt, will be forever imprinted in my mind. As will the sweet moments I had with Steve, the thought of our kiss warming my heart and I wished to be back at his side. 

Suddenly, the cage opened and a small, fat man entered, the needle in his hand not eluding my sharp eyes.   
"Hello, beastie! We need some of your precious blood!" he cooed and carefully stepped closer but as I bared my fangs, hissed dangerously and snapped at him he stopped immediately, retreating his face as I almost bit off his nose.   
"Woah! That was close!" Obviously he feared me but his pride wouldn't let him show it openly, and this little attack of mine angered him a lot.   
"If your blood hadn't such incredible powers I would have let them kill you! Makes things easier but we need you alive to produce the valuable liquid!" he sneered and readjusted the few strands of hair that were left on his ugly meaty head with his thick clumsy hands. I hissed some more and then spat at his feet to signal him that he wouldn't get anything from me without a fight – he got the message and backed away.   
"You bit-" he cursed but was interrupted by the distant sound of gunshots and then an explosion. 

_They are here..._

Without hesitation I used the opportunity and slung my tail around the distracted man's throat, who realized in horror that all air was leaving his fat body. Puffing and wriggling he knelt down, trying frantically to loosen my grip and his face turned purple until he collapsed onto the dark concrete floor. The other humans in the room were busy securing their precious research data and only three guards were left, one of them noticing the dead body at my feet.  With his gun loaded and pointed towards me he entered the cage but he was as careless as the fat man and stepped within reach of my tail. Fast and accurate, the golden vanadium spike pierced through his armor and flesh, deep enough to hit the heart and so there were two bodies at my feet now. 

_They though it unneces_ _s_ _ary to chain my tail too.. fools..._

Skilfully I tried to open the chains or break them with my tail as the vanadium was robust enough but then the large metal door banged open due to another explosion and through the thick cloud of dust stepped Steve, Thor and Tony. 

 

_**end of your POV **_

 

"_____!!" Steve shouted as he spied her on the far side of the lab and his anger flared up when he noted the heavy, constricting chains. Treating her like a lowly beast was something he couldn't let be unpunished, thus he rushed forward, knocking down the Hydra-scientists one after another with his shield until he stood before the open cage. Thor too had crossed the room after eliminating the two guards at the door and was glad to see that ______ was alive and unharmed as it seemed.   
"Are you alright?" Steve asked while he pulled at the chains and she nodded, a small smile spreading across her lips as she was obviously glad that he was here – a fact Thor noted but now was not the time for jealousy.   
"No romance, guys! We should hurry and get back to the jet." Tony admonished and ordered Jarvis to compile a site plan. Despite her glaring, Thor stepped closer and hammered on the chains to break the links and free her.   
"Thanks." she said in a friendly tone but without smile, still not trusting the god, and the three made their way towards the door. Behind the lab lay a maze of narrow corridors, the neon-lights flickering or smashed, several unconscious Hydra-soldiers plastering the way. A few minutes later and with Jarvis' help in navigation, they reached the exit of the base and the girl was surprised to see that she had been inside a mountain the whole time. On he plateau in front of the cave, the Hulk, Hawkeye and the Asgardian warriors were fighting against the remaining Hydra agents who stood their ground fiercely. In a blink of an eye, ten grim agents stood before the other four, their guns pointing threateningly at them. As protective as he was, Steve shoved the girl behind him in order to shield her but she had a different plan since she recognized one of the men, his sly smile and crooked nose standing out very clearly. _This one hurt Natasha..._ she thought and narrowed her emerald eyes, the black pupils becoming thin slits. _  
_

Before any of the three man could stop her, she dashed forward and graciously jumped over said agent, causing quite the distraction for her spike to pierce his chest, the brilliant red liquid gushing from the wound as she pulled the spike out again. The fallen agent's comrades were shocked for a moment before they were able to use their guns, aiming solely at the strange creature. However, Thor wielded his hammer wildly, knocking down five me with one strike while Steve advanced by using his shield followed by Tony in his suit. They faced at least twenty agents and each of the team fought bravely, one enemy after another landing dead or unconscious on the ground. Thor noted how ______ showed no mercy and slayed or strangle many men and somehow he liked this attitude of hers, this warrior-like approach to a fight, which was like his own. Then he remembered what his father had told him about her powers and he wondered how much stronger she would become as she was already dangerous. Most fascinating was the golden tail which was so flexible yet deadly and she used it skillfully as if it was another arm of hers, the scales sparkling with every movement as did the rest of her body.

Breathing heavily and covered in blood and dirt, Thor walked across the uneven ground, past the dead enemies and surveyed the group of Asgardian warriors, checking for losses.   
"Do you wish to leave for Asgard, my prince?" one of them asked and Thor shook his head as he hadn't told his friends about Odin's summoning yet, knowing that none of them would agree to let him take her with him alone. _Besides, ______ herself won't come with me freely...  
_ If someone was to accompany her it would surely be Steve and Thor really didn't want that to happen because of the tension between them. Anyway, without the king's permission, no Midgardian was allowed to travel to Asgard – his friends will have to respect this provision.   
"We shall return to the Tower of Stark for I wish to clean myself up before I meet the All-Father." Thor explained and entered the jet while the warriors nodded and followed silently.

 


	10. To Asgard

After a quick shower, the Norse god waited impatiently in the living room for the right moment to tell everyone that _____ needed to accompany him and honestly, he had no clue how to begin, let alone how to maintain a peaceful conversation.

Suddenly footsteps were audible, coming from the hallway, moments before Steve and Tony walked in. Thor sighed as he turned around to face them, dreading the following debate. "Are you taking those tin soldiers home?" Tony quipped as he passed the god and let himself fall casually onto the large cream couch with a moan as he got some nasty bruises despite his suit.   
"I shall return to Asgard, yes, and..." Thor hesitated, his mind literally rattling and trying to come up with a diplomatic reasonable argumentation but seconds passed and he gave up. He would take the straight way, without unnecessary euphemisms. "... And ____ shall accompany me since the All-Father summoned her." 

There, it was out and Thor wasn't surprised to see the other two men staring at him in both disbelief and worry, especially the Captain.    
“Only if I come too." Steve declared sternly just when the elevator opened and the black-haired female joined them. After the shower she had replaced her sweatpants by a lovely rosé sundress combined with black sandals, the hem rising slightly above the knees while her hair was floating freely around her shoulders as she approached, the golden tail brushing the floor with every step.   
"Come where? Are you leaving?" she asked Steve and looked up at the tall man in a way which Thor would love to be looked at, her emerald eyes shiny and obviously sad that the Captain would depart.   
"Steve is going no where but the All-Father wishes to see you." Thor explained and stepped closer, causing both Steve and the girl to glare at him, the softness in her eyes being replaced by distrust and fear as she eyed him warily.   
"No! I won't go with you alone – never!" she hissed and backed away from the blonde whose anger started to flare up at her impolite reluctance. Although he had predicted such a reaction it hurt nonetheless but Thor had no choice as he had received the order to bring her to Odin as soon as she was rescued from the enemy.

"By royal decree it is forbidden for Midgardians to travel to Asgard without the king's permission. Thus none of you can accompany her.” Thor stated, trying to keep his voice calm and sound reasonable.  
“What? You can't be serious! After what you did to her, I will not let you take her with you, especially not alone. And who knows how long she would be gone! Probably we won't see her again!” Steve declared and shoved the girl behind him which annoyed the god even more.   
“You dare to think so lowly of me, a prince of Asgard?!” The blonde growled, which alerted the warriors behind him. _I should just grab her and fly off..._ he thought to himself when the black-haired woman spoke up from behind the Captain, half of her body still hidden though.  
“Who is this All-Father and why does he wish to see me personally?” Thor didn't miss the slight curiosity in her voice and he inwardly grinned. If he managed to build on that, maybe there was a way to persuade her after all.  
“Odin is the king of Asgard, my father and wise as he is, he has found out what you are and why you were in that sphere. Since you are very special he would like to talk to you about your origins.” Thor said more calmly and saw how her expressions softened a little, her pretty head probably pondering about what to do now.  
“And you can't tell me that?” she asked mistrustfully, her emerald eyes still sparkling dangerously at the god and Thor performed his best act when he replied: “No, Odin hasn't confided such important information in me.” He sounded convincingly sad and even looked away briefly to underline his hurt pride while _______ watched his every movement intently.   
“If you wish to find out you need to travel to Asgard with me.” he added then and looked at her expectantly. The Kitten was indeed very interested in what Odin would tell her as she had no memory of her life before the sphere and that unnerved her. Her own history was a blank white page she longed to fill thus she needed to gather more information, even if that implied to leave the tower without Steve for some days or maybe more – Thor hadn't lost a word about that detail. Minutes passed and the others continued arguing while the Kitten pondered over her options, if she should take the risk and trust the god she feared, who had tried to kill her. If she did not, maybe she would never know more about herself but was it worth it?  
  
Suddenly her train of thought was interrupted by Steve yelling at Thor, who gripped his hammer tightly and the golden warriors took positions behind him, ready to fight, while Tony tried to prevent them from trashing his newly redecorated living room. Outside, thick dark clouds covered the sky while tiny sparks of lightning surrounded Mjolnir's head as Thor's fury roared, causing the black-haired woman to shudder violently. Knowing that Steve and Tony had no chance against the Asgardians, that Thor would hurt them badly in his wrath, ______ made a decision. With her heart firmly clasped by fear she stepped out of the Captain's shadow and positioned herself in front of him, staring anxiously yet determinedly at the god. _For piece's sake..._ _for Steve._  
“Stop this folly and I will come with you.” she said and Thor looked at her in surprise as he hadn't expected her to give in but he didn't waste another moment and brought his hammer down, signaling the warriors to withdraw their weapons too.   
“What?! Are you sure?” Steve asked worriedly and the small woman simply nodded with a small smile. “I'll be fine.” The Captain wasn't convinced however he sensed that he couldn't change her mind. Thus he took her slender hand and squeezed it gently, his expressions soft but full of worry, before he let her slip from his grasp.  
“Come then.” Thor said in his rumble of a voice, gesturing with his large hand for her to follow him outside on the balcony and she obeyed immediately. As she passed the god, he noted her slight shivering and discomfort, how she avoided his gaze and how she hugged herself with one arm while she kept her golden tail close to herself. Admittedly, the sight of her right now appealed to Thor a lot – he felt so powerful, so dominant – and he longed to embrace her small, frightened form and plant passionate kisses down her neck. Sooner or later he would have her, willingly or not.  
The weather had brightened as had the god's mood, now that he had achieved his goal – she had agreed to come somewhat freely – and he almost smirked at the fact that Steve would be left behind on Midgard. Thus he glared triumphantly one last time at his rival, then turned and marched towards the small woman and the warriors before he raised Mjolnir and called for Heimdal to open the Bifrost.

***  
 _  
_“Welcome to Asgard, my prince.” a very intimidating man greeted them when the white light faded again, his dark skin a strong contrast to his golden eyes which stayed glued to the black-haired woman while they exited the golden hall and walked onto the sparkling bridge. Alongside the glass-bridge, six metal boats floated above the water, some of them larger some smaller, and cautiously she stepped closer to the edge of the glass, eyeing the streaming water beneath. The sun was setting above the mountains in the distance, tinting the land in warm orange, and as her gaze travelled over this strange world, she spied the golden city of Asgard, sitting enthroned between smooth hills and the shore of the vast ocean. Stunned by the beauty of the sight, she gasped and took little notice of the warriors boarding the boats.  
“_______?” Thor called calmly as he approached her slowly and she almost jumped in surprise, backing away a little. “We shouldn't let the All-Father wait longer than necessary.” The little female just nodded and walked over to a smaller boat, each step careful yet graceful, while Thor followed behind closely.  
Smoothly the ships took off and carried them over the water towards the shore and from above, _____ admired the cozy houses and luxurious mansions of the city. All the time, Thor struggled to keep his eyes from her while she beheld the surroundings, her raven-black hair swaying in the wind as did her rosé dress around her knees, the golden scales glistening in the last rays of sunlight. He noted how her eyes lit up with joy at what she saw and thus he planned to show her more of Asgard the following days. But as the huge palace drew nearer, it's shadows looming over them as they passed the many towers, Thor remembered his past and his heart ached from the pain again, causing him to avert his gaze from the woman who resembled his lost brother. The spark of glee he had felt before was squelched by bitter grief.  
  
***  
  
Through several vast hallways and across some plazas he led her and soon she forgot where the exit of this maze-like palace was. While she tried to keep up with Thor's large strides, her eyes were busy to take in as much details of the beautiful architecture as possible and the whole place seemed oddly familiar. Servants and soldiers passed them, each greeting their beloved prince and looking at the black-haired woman in surprise and horror, their gazed burning unpleasantly into her flesh.  
Finally they reached a large golden door, which two soldiers opened for them as they approached, revealing the vast throne room behind. As they walked towards the throne, ______ could already feel the king's eyes on her and a slight shiver ran down her spine when they stood before him.  
“Father, I bring you the lady ________.” Thor said and knelt down at the bottom of the stairs which led to the throne and the woman at his side curtsied quickly, not wanting to offend the king by being disrespectful. Perplexed by whom was presented to him, Odin sat motionless on the pompous throne and stared at the female doppelganger of the fallen prince, comparing their features but even the sparkling shades of green resembled perfectly those of the Trickster. __By the Nine, how is this possible? The king wondered but regained his composure quickly as Thor and the lady looked expectantly back up at him.  
“Welcome, both of you. My lady, it is a great pleasure to finally meet you.” Odin said with a warm smile as he rose and slowly descended the steps, his white cloak brushing against the stone. With her emerald eyes _______ warily watched the elder Aesir, however, there was something else shimmering through the golden armor, something green and black. By narrowing her eyes she tried to peek through this curtain of delusion, this mask of an old grey man, until the true ruler of Asgard was revealed to her. The man behind what must be a spell was much younger than the one he pretended to be and looked almost exactly like herself as she noted in disbelief. Since she wasn't sure whether Thor could see the hidden man too, she decided to ignore it for now.  
“I guess the honor is all mine, your majesty.” she said shyly, her tail wiggling between her legs which Thor found very distracting. In fact, he hoped that this meeting would be over soon so that he could show ______ around the palace grounds, impressing her with his family's wealth and the beauty of the gardens. Thor envisioned her writhing beneath him on the sheets of his large bed, moaning in delight as she had in his dream – a dream which could become reality soon. And while Odin returned some courtesies, the blonde god stared longingly down upon the small black-haired woman with nothing but lust burning in his eyes.

 


	11. The call of nature

"Let an old, blind man have a closer look upon you." the king said as his one eye roamed over the black-haired woman, over her golden scales down her slender legs and up at her lovely face again – emerald green eyes framed by the black tips of her hair.  
"You are indeed special." he added and noted how Thor's gaze lingered on her too long to be of amicable intent only and Odin wondered what exactly had happened on Midgard since she was born.  
"Come, join me for dinner. I shall explain everything to you then because such a long story shouldn't be told on an empty stomach." Odin smiled and gestured for ______ and Thor to follow him, what they did of course.  
The dinner would be in the royal salon as Thor assumed and on the way Odin halted in front of one of the many doors along the hallway.   
"These shall be your rooms during your stay. If there is anything you need do not hesitate to call a servant." the old Aesir said to the black-haired woman before he continued walking and _____ looked at the door intently, trying to remember it for later. The last thing she wanted was to get lost in this maze of a palace, surrounded by strangers or even worse if she ended up in Thor's room accidentally – who knows in what state she would come out again. Shuddering from the thought, the small woman followed the king quickly while Thor strolled casually behind them.

 

***

 

Although Bruce was a good cook, the dishes served here in Asgard were truly from another world, so delicious and hearty that _______ soon was full and had to put her fork down. In contrast to Thor, who ate like he was back from battle as he sat opposite to _______, a large pile of food covering his plate and she was surprised how much he could absorb. Secretly she shot quick glances towards him and the more she watched him eat the more he reminded her of a starved lion after the hunt – a predator craving to be satisfied. As befit the king, Odin resided at the head of the marvelous wooden table and sipped at a fine Asgardian wine out of the grapes plucked from the fruitful hills outside the city. In contrast to Thor, Odin displayed his best table manners and chose to ignore the much more beastly ones.  
"Well, I suppose I shouldn't keep you in suspense any longer so let me enlighten you, my lady." Odin began as he gently swayed the golden goblet in his wrinkled hand and his gaze met with hers. "You are a spirit of nature, the last one to be precisely, safely kept in the golden sphere until Asgard is in need for your help."  
______ pondered over his words for a moment, not quite comprehending their overall meaning yet.  
"And what does Asgard need my help for?” she asked in disbelief and Odin's expressions visibly saddened.  
“You must know that we have been at war lately against the Dark Elves, a vile and ruthless race but in the end they were defeated – at a high cost.” Thor had stopped eating because he had lost his appetite as he listened to his father's voice which woke painful memories of his mother and... Loki...  
Like it was just yesterday, Thor could recall in every detail the day his brother died, each picture that flashed up in his mind tormenting his already wounded heart. From across the table, ______ noted the change in the prince's mood and she eyed him warily for a brief moment, ascertaining whether it would turn to rage or not.  
“Although peace has found its way back here, the other worlds consider Asgard weak and vulnerable as we failed to hinder the enemy from invading our core and pierce Asgard's heart directly. Thus we must prepare for another invasion, we must gather all our strength and that includes you as well.” Odin continued while the other two listened in silence, the only noise coming from the crackling fireplace on the other side of the salon. How can I help? I am but a small woman, nothing in comparison to those gods here. She wondered and as if Odin could read her mind like an open book he smiled reassuringly at her.   
“From your confused expression I take it that you do not see yourself fit for such a task. Admittedly, you are not strong enough, probably your phase of development is not completed yet but in time you will possess great powers – powers which surpass our enemies' by far.”   
Motionless like a statue, the black-haired woman sat there, her gaze focused on the plate in front of her, her pretty head spinning from all the information she had just absorbed. The thought of such greatness, of those mysterious powers frightened her somehow as it all sounded like she was born for exactly this task, that to fight for this kingdom was her fate which she had never envisioned. However, she felt like she still had the option to choose whether she accepted this destiny or not, whether she pledged loyalty to the All-Father or not, and she knew that this decision wouldn't come easily. Her spinning head had started to ache and thus she rose abruptly from the table, causing both Thor and Odin to stare at her surprisedly.  
“Excuse me, your majesty but I need some time to …. think.” she announced shyly and didn't really wait for a permission to leave as she nearly turned when Odin replied in a warm tone.  
“Of course, my lady. These revelations are a bit much for one evening to digest. Thor shall accompany you back to your room – we wouldn't want you to get lost after all.”  
Since his appetite was gone for good, Thor had no objections and rose too before he quickly rounded the table to stand beside ________, who backed away ever so slightly. Then they both bowed and left the room, the smaller figure of hers vanishing from Odin's sight behind Thor as they stepped through the door.   
In tensed silence they walked down the vast hallway, which seemed to be much longer than before and ______ hoped for the right door to appear very soon as she couldn't bear to be in Thor's presence alone. And while she couldn't wait for their little stroll to end, the blonde god wished to prolong it as he slowed down his pace while his mind was searching frantically for something witty or sensible to say. 'Congratulate, you're a spirit of nature!' no, that is inappropriate. … ahm...'I feel honored to meet such a powerful being-” Hel, no! ….I will make a fool of myself!  
Before Thor could come up with something useful, they reached _______'s room and as soon as he halted in front of the wooden door, the small girl rushed inside and with a faint 'goodnight' she banged the door shut again – inches away from Thor's face.  
“Goodnight...?” he mumbled and when he realized how close he had been from hitting the wood, he stormed off rather confused and slightly enraged. What a vixen! 

 

***

 

After being left alone in the royal salon, the king walked over to the sofa in front of the fireplace, green mist engulfing him as he sat down, and Loki sipped casually at the golden goblet while he stared into the flames. Mentally he returned to the moment he lay eyes upon his long-awaited guest for the first time today when Thor and the small woman approached him in the throne room. From his research about the spirits in general, Loki had expected her to be pleasing to the eye but he had never envisioned such a beauty. More so, he was absolutely surprised to be presented with his female self – smaller and more fragile yet her features resembled his in every way – and the golden scales only emphasized her singularity. Oh and this intriguing tail....  
As it was written in an old scroll, her physique and looks would be such as to please the current king, whom she was deemed to serve. And by the Nine, with her black hair, her emerald green eyes and her golden scales there was no doubt she was meant to please Loki, the king of Asgard. She was the embodiment of his colors, his glory and with his skilled hands he would forge her into a deadly weapon. Yes, with her my revenge shall be so much sweeter and the extent of my devastating wrath so much greater! No other realm shall question my rule nor dare to attack Asgard once I have achieved my goals...They will all suffer! Loki thought to himself, a sly smirk spreading across his thin lips. For once, this dim-witted oaf of a thunder-god had done well and delivered him the key to his plans. Thor, the lucky fool... as my female version, she is probably a constant stab into his grieving heart...There was no need for the Trickster to enter the blonde's mind to notice the pain in his gaze whenever he looks at her and amused by this fact, Loki chuckled sinisterly and took another sip of wine. Deserves him well!

 

***

 

The next day, the Thunderer knocked gently at the wooden door as not to startle the lady inside and when no answer came back he knocked again, with a little bit more force this time.   
“_______?” he called but again there was nothing but silence in return. Maybe she is still asleep? He wondered and hesitated for a moment to enter but on the other hand, Odin had requested her presence at breakfast and Thor couldn't dare to disappoint him again.  
“_______? I shall enter.” he announced then and opened the door slowly until the empty bed came into view. Thor stepped inside the room but he quickly realized that it was abandoned. Damned! He hissed and spurned by both worry and fury, Thor stormed outside and began searching for her.

 

***

 

Over an hour later, there was still no trace of the little female and the blonde god entered the dining room in defeat, ready to face his father's temper. However, from inside he could already hear a soft, familiar voice and when he approached the table, his eyes widened because _______ sat there with Odin, sipping tea.   
“Good morning, my son. Why such a distraught face?” Odin asked as he and the woman turned in their seats, oblivious to the fact that Thor had spent his morning with frantically running around half of the palace. Innocent as ever, the girl looked at him curiously before averting her gaze again, one hand playing with the hem of her rosé dress, the sight soothing Thor's anger.   
“Never mind.” he said as he sat down next to his father, his stomach already rumbling in anticipation of the delicious food. Meanwhile, Odin had a hard time not to chuckle aloud as he had read in Thor's mind how he had panicked earlier when he found the guest room empty. Also, the tiny drops of sweat combined with a very prominent vein on the blonde's forehead told their stories too. And all the while, _______ had been here with him, chatting casually, and now she displayed the perfect face of pure innocence while she sipped at her tea. Admittedly, she hadn't done it on purpose, but she was definitely a little minx and that made her even more likable to the God of Mischief.  
“Very well, then let us start with testing your current powers. Follow me to the old training grounds." Odin announced and rose before Thor had the chance to satisfy his hunger properly. Thus he quickly grabbed a biscuit and an apple as provisions and caught up with the other two. 

 

***

 

The way to the old training grounds led through the royal garden and they were rather hidden in a small forest at the border of the palace area. Borr, Thor's grandfather had sparred with his famous warriors there back then and even Odin had learned to wield a sword at this very place. But as the number of warriors increased due to several wars, larger training grounds were needed and thus the old ones were abandoned and eventually more or less forgotten. So it was the ideal place to test and train a weapon that should remain hidden from prying eyes – except Heimdall of course but he was bound by oath to loyalty towards the king. 

As they strolled through the marvelous garden where the former queen Frigga had planted thousands of her favorite flowers, _______ was fascinated by it's beauty, her eyes shining a brilliant green. The longer she beheld the flora, the fountains and the small animals living between the lilies and roses, the more she felt drawn to them, the need to touch and smell them became strong within her. But she restrained herself, again not wanting to break any rules. However, Odin noted how eager she was to explore the garden and thus he leaned down and whispered reassuringly: "Go on, we shall remain not far behind you." The emerald orbs lit up even more and as soon as his words had left his lips, she jumped over one of the rose-bushes and dashed across the lawn, her rosé dress floating vividly behind her as did the golden tail.  
"You let her run around freely?" Thor asked sceptically as he walked beside his father who didn't seem worried at all.  
"She cannot escape and besides I do not expect her to as the call of nature in this garden is strong enough to keep her here." Odin replied calmly but Thor wasn't convinced entirely, he still didn't trust the little minx and kept at least one eye on her. After several minutes the two gods approached a stone bench on their way and Odin sat down, his light armor glistening in the already hot Asgardian sun.   
"I thought you wished to test her?" Thor asked as he sat down himself and took the apple out of a pocket of his armor.  
"This is the first test, my son. Look closely!" The All-Father replied in amusement as his son failed to note what his experienced, sharp eye had spied immediately. Slightly confused, the blonde god turned to look at ______ again, who wandered amongst the flowers, and his eyes widened when he saw it. With each step she took on the lawn, the grass which had touched her feet became visibly greener as if freshly replenished with water. Every tree she passed seemed to rustle from joy and every flower she smelled at or brushed with her slender hand bloomed even more, their colors enhanced magically so that she was surrounded by the most beautiful plants in all the Nine Realms.   
"As a spirit of nature, she can influence her surroundings by emitting a special form of magic which invigorates everything, be it plant or animal. Her powers are more developed than I had expected." Odin assessed while he watched the black-haired woman who seemed so happy that she lost track of time and forgot about the two gods completely.   
"Why hadn't she been drawn to nature on Midgard? Do her powers depend on the world she resides in?" Thor asked suddenly as he hadn't witnessed such a behavior previously which stunned him even more.  
"Well, initially she was born in this world after all so I suppose that nature's call is the strongest here. She was created to protect the fauna and flora of Asgard and thus she cannot resist this basic instinct of hers to wander around. Her powers, however, shouldn't vary across the worlds.” the old king replied and Thor only nodded as he was too transfixed by the pretty woman amongst the flowers. Obviously he had done her wrong in accusing her of being an evil creature, a lowly beast – which she was certainly not, judging from what Thor witnessed right now – yet there still was one aspect stirring his mind. Does she have any connection to the man she looks so much alike?


	12. Sleeping beauty

I danced amongst the flowers a little while longer and advanced further into the garden, followed closely by the two gods. When a small pond between some trees came into view, I couldn't help but giggle in anticipation and soon later the hem of my dress was soaked and my toes dug deep into the smooth sand on the bottom of the pond.   
"Loki and I used to play in that pond when we were but boys." Thor said melancholically as he watched me and the king at his side nodded.   
"Yes, I can remember those times."   
The water was clear and cool so that I felt refreshed with every step I took further into the pond. Suddenly a wave of glee rushed through me and unknowingly I rose my arms and with them pearls of water were lifted, levitating gently above the waterline. Mesmerized by my power I continued to wave my arms in circular motions, causing more water to form delicate structures which lasted merely seconds before they changed again. The beauty of the sight made me laugh joyfully and from the corner of my eye I saw that the two gods were simply stunned.    
I didn't mind that my dress was becoming wetter and wetter and instead I took one more step into the pond. The scales on my legs sparkled magically beneath the surface and the water reflected their golden shimmer. Then a voice appeared in my head, very quiet at first and repeating one sentence over and over again. The louder this strange yet somehow familiar voice became the more my head hurt and finally it almost screamed at me:   


~ _Don't trust the A_ _e_ _sir, they ar_ _e_ _monsters, they are murderer!~_

_  
_I held my breath and a cold shiver ran down my spine but it wouldn't stop.

~ _Don't trust the A_ _e_ _sir, they ar_ _e_ _monsters, they are murderer!~_

"Aaah!" I yelled and clutched my head with both my hands, in vain as the throbbing didn't fade away. As if my head was caught in a vise which squeezed my brain with such force that a bright white appeared in front of my inner eye, blinding me. Suddenly my knees gave way and then there was only water surrounding me, flooding my nose and mouth. With my head still throbbing violently I tried to swim but the pain paralyzed my limbs. _I will drown...._ I realized in despair but then someone grabbed me, big hands clutched around my arm and waist, pulling me outside of the water. Coughing I lay in someone's massive arms, the warmth of his body radiating through my cold bones and in awe I recognized the piercing blue eyes of the man who held me. _Thor, he saved me?..._

~ _Don't trust the A_ _e_ _sir, they ar_ _e_ _monsters, they are murderer!~_   
I remembered and although I frantically tried to move from his grip, my body was too weak and numb to obey my mind's command. Thor called my name but I couldn't answer as I was drifting away... so far away... into the black depth of unconsciousness.

***

Back in a world without gods, at Stark Tower, Steve was currently training at the punchbag which had the honor to serve as a valve for his anger. Since _____ was gone, a steady feeling of worry accompanied him and his mind was tormented by pure biting guilt. _I shouldn't have let her go!_ he thought to himself over and over again, regretting that he hadn't stopped her. Admittedly, she had agreed to go with the Norse god but how could she have known what would await her in Asgard? Was she alright or did she ran into a trap right away? And how long was she supposed to stay? Steve had absolutely no clue, the nescience constantly nagging at him and as time passed he became even more frustrated, his fists tearing apart the leather coat of the punchbag.   
"Three bags in a day, that's a record!" Tony mocked as he stepped into the training area, his usual smirk plastered across his freshly shaved face.   
"What is it, Stark?" the Captain replied grimly and didn't bother to look at his friend while he put the damaged bag down – an easy task since its weight was nothing in comparison to what he was able to lift. Tony stopped in his tracks and his smile diminished slightly.   
"Nat is awake."

***

One day had passed and the black-haired girl hadn't woken up yet. As there was more time necessary to assess the full extent of her powers, Odin had ordered to move her into one of the empty royal suits. There she lay now, amongst green and black silken sheets in a large four-poster bed out of ebony which perfectly matched the rest of the luxurious furniture in Loki's old bedroom.    
During the night, a strong fever had befallen the little woman and the sweat had soaked her white night gown, like back on Midgard and Thor wondered if that implied another boost of her powers or a further change in her appearance. The prince had visited her several times to check wether she was awake – he wished to be the first person whom she would look at when she does – and secretly he used this opportunity to be in her presence without her fearing or fighting him. Thus he sat beside her bed on a wooden chair and just admired her lovely face while she slept peacefully, her chest heaving accordingly to her even breathing. The warm light of the Asgardian sun sparkled in the black tips of her hair and on the golden scales of her tail, which protruded from under the blanket and rested on the soft mattress. From time to time, Thor's gaze travelled across the room and several memories flamed up at the sight of his brother's belongings, especially the tons of spell-books in the large shelf near the fireplace. Loki had often spend hours with reading them and Thor had tried in vain to persuade him to go hunting with him and the Warriors Three. Nothing could keep the Trickster from his magic and his books, not even the most thrilling hunt nor the most beautiful maiden as Thor remembered quite well. He also recalled some nights when he would secretly sneak into Loki's room to chat or play with him until the first rays of the morning sun kissed them. But those happier times seemed ages ago, as if from another life and with a saddened expression, Thor looked back at his beloved brother's female image lying on front of him.

***

"Hey..." The red-haired assassin greeted Steve when he entered her room and he forced a small smile upon his lips as he stepped closer to the bed. Although he was more than happy that his friend was out of the coma, Steve knew she would ask about the other woman and she won't like his answer. He would be the one to face her wrath.   
"Good to see you again. How are you?" he asked and pulled a chair over.   
"That was a nasty bullet but not enough to get me six feet under ground!" Despite her serious wound, Nat always had a nice comment ready, a trait which Steve worshipped a lot these days. Natasha eyed the bandages around her flat belly before she looked around in the room as if something was missing.   
"Where is ________?" Nat had expected the girl to be around when she woke up thus her absence surprised her very much.   
"Well... ahm... " Steve began, trying put off the evil hour while Nat eyed him suspiciously, her eyes narrowing with every passing second.   
"Steve!" Her sharp tone made him flinch.   
"She went to Asgard with Thor."  Oh how he had underestimated her fury when those words hit her!   
"What?! Why did you let that happen?? How could you??" she yelled and threw herself at him, punching him fiercely in his solar plexus and jaw. Despite the wound she seemed to lack little of her strength, as far as Steve could judge from how her punches hurt. "Thor wants to kill her, Steve!!"   
"No, no he doesn't anymore!" the Captain replied although he didn't believe his own words but still hoped that it was true. Luckily he managed to get away from the bed and out of the raging woman's reach – he would have to keep at least this distance while explaining everything to her and Steve knew the following hour would be a tough one.   


***

The sun was already setting when Thor rose from the wooden chair next to the bed, his limbs stiff from the sitting. While pondering and watching over the black-haired girl he had lost track of time but now his empty stomach declared that it was an appropriate hour for dinner. All the while, _____ hadn't moved an inch, not even a finger had twitched which caused worries to spread in the god's mind. Just to be sure, he stepped closer and leaned over her to ascertain that she was still breathing and he sighed in relief when he saw her chest heaving. _If only I could do something to wake her up... Maybe a kiss would help?_  
Jane had once told him a Midgardian tale concerning a similar situation and hey, why not give it a try?  
Thus Thor slowly leaned down, both his arms resting beside her head, until her soft lips brushed his. After he had withdrawn himself from her, the prince waited expectantly for another few minutes but nothing happened. Disappointed that the kiss hadn't worked, Thor walked outside the bedroom and made his way towards the dining hall where he would meet with his friends, his stomach urging him on. 

***

After a little pre-lunch sparring with his friends Fandrall and Hogun, Thor strolled through the vast hallway towards Loki's chambers when he saw a nurse rushing out of said room from the distance.  "My prince!" The elderly woman called and unintentionally Thor's feet quickened their pace until he ran towards her.   
"She is awake!"   
The god didn't stop but stormed directly into the bedroom of Loki's chambers where he found the black-haired woman sitting casually in the large bed. _By the Nine, did the kiss work after all?_  
Still dizzy from her coma-like state, she didn't jump at his sudden entrance – like Thor had expected her to – nor did she back away when he stepped closer to the bed. All she did was pull the thick black and green blanket further up to cover herself more.   
"How are you feeling?" Thor asked, his brows furrowed in worry and she eyed him warily and slightly confusedly before she replied. For a split second she had forgotten that she had travelled to Asgard with the god.   
"I'm fine, I guess..." her voice was crackling due to dehydration thus she reached for the glass of water waiting for her on the ebony nightstand.   
"Good, you had us quite worried." Thor admitted and was obviously relieved that she was well as there were faint signs of a smile in his face.   
"How long was I asleep?" she asked after she put the empty glass back in its place.   
"One and a half day has passed since you collapsed in the pond."    
"Oh right, the pond..." She couldn't recall every detail of what happened nor why she lost consciousness but one thing she did remember quite clearly.

~ _Don't trust the A_ _e_ _sir, they ar_ _e_ _monsters, they are murderer!~_

Whoever sent her this message – this warning to be precise – seemed to know a lot more about the Aesir than her, including all the dirty secrets which Odin probably tried to hide from her and ____ started to wonder whether he had omitted certain facts about the spirits of nature and their true relation with the Aesir. First of all the question why she was supposed to serve the king of Asgard, a man who hid behind a mask.   
"______? Did you hear me?" Thor asked as she stared at the folded hands in her lap for over a minute without speaking.   
"Oh, ahm sorry I was .... lost in thoughts." The god casually leaned back in his chair, his broad chest heaving under his light armor.   
"Never mind. I just said that your collapse could be due to another growth spurt or, as the All-Father suggested, your powers are being heightened." he explained while _____ listened closely, her lovely face distracting the god as he spoke.  "Anyways, I am very glad that you are well."   
"Which I wouldn't if you hadn't caught me in time so ... thank you." she replied and granted him a very tiny smile – nothing in comparison to the one she would give Steve – but Thor was content with this small success regardless.   
"Well, I suppose I should get dressed." she declared as she felt rather uncomfortable in this long white linen nightgown around the blonde – it didn't reveal anything but nevertheless. Thus she quickly shoved the blanket aside and got up but due to the unconsciousness her balance was out of order and she struggled to keep standing.   
"Do you need help?" Thor asked and rose as he had noted how her knees wobbled as if they would give in and moment. Wide-eyed she stared at him, both fear and indignation in her green orbs, while her hands clutched the cloth she was wearing tightly. _Did he just ask me if he can help me get dressed?_ she wondered in horror and her expressions told Thor about the misunderstanding.   
"No, I .. I meant with the walking... not the dressing of course!!" Thor stumbled slightly embarrassed, trying to turn the situation to his favor again but ____ only shook her head before she walked over to the wardrobe.    
"No thanks." And with that the god decided to leave before the pink on his cheeks had a chance to betray him and once outside he commanded the nearest maid to go and prepare her for lunch.

 


	13. The Trickster

Still slightly perplexed by the god who had just left, I rummaged in the large wardrobe, trying to find something to wear amongst those tons of green and black clothes. _Oh come on, these are all men's clothes!_ I assessed disappointed as I held up another green silk tunic which was too large for me but I got immediately distracted when someone entered the room, my gaze fixed at the door where the footsteps came from.  
“My lady, how fortunate that you are awake again! Let me help you with that!” The woman said in a ringing voice as she hurried over and took the pieces of cloth from me. “The king awaits you for lunch so let's hurry, my lady!” Gently but very determinedly, she grabbed me at both my arms and ushered me inside the adjoining bathroom.   
“Who are you?!” I asked suspiciously while she fetched a bath for me, hurrying around the room busily like a fat bee, the cream robe floating around her corpulent body and brushing the floor with each of her tiny steps.  
“My name is Birgit and I am assigned to be your abigail, my lady.” While she spoke she was already undressing me and seconds later I found myself in the hot foaming water. Judging from her looks, Birgit didn't pose a threat and thus I let her proceed and didn't resist when she washed and combed my hair, I even let her scrub my tail while I observed her closer. She was probably around forty, maybe older, as there were some grey strands scattered in her auburn braided hair yet she didn't lack energy nor dedication to fulfill her duties.  
“My my, you are a little special aren't you! Look at those scales! Ha, they fit the ornaments of this suit perfectly!” She joked as she thoroughly cleaned every inch of my body but I didn't consider her remark so funny. Admittedly, my body had exactly the same colors as the furniture surrounding us but that was a coincident, wasn't it?  
“So whose suite is this?” I asked while she massaged my scalp, the scented foam dripping from my head in all directions but mainly into my eyes.  
“Oh ahm... A prince once resided in here not too long ago.” Birgit's voice saddened which only spurned my inquisitive nature. “A prince huh? So Thor has a brother?”   
“Yes, a younger one – what a handsome man he was.”   
“What happened?”   
“He died.” Birgit replied dryly – a most unsatisfying answer – but before I had the chance to probe any further, she poured a jug of fresh water over my head to rinse my hair, successfully ending this topic of our conversation. Honestly I didn't mind but I kept in mind to find out more about this second prince and his fate as well as not to mention him too often. Speaking about him seemed to be a taboo judging from Birgit's reaction.   


***

  
With his neck craned, Steve looked up at the bright blue sky above New York, knowing that _____ was somewhere out there in a world hidden from his eyes. From what he had read about the Norse mythology, the gatekeeper Heimdall's watchful gaze lingered on all nine worlds and so he raised his voice full of hope. “Heimdall, I know I am not allowed in your home but please send me a message if ______ is alright!” His shouts got carried away by the wind no matter how loud they were but Steve couldn't give up. “Please! I need to know!” he added and stared expectantly at the blue vastness above him. Much to his disappointed, however, the sky didn't part for him nor did some white light appear, not even a cloud moved at his plea. Absolutely nothing happened – as if this other realm was a mere fantasy, a dream to which Thor had kidnapped ________ and from which Steve had to rescue her. Yes, there was no way around it – Steve needed to go to Asgard.   


***  
  
After a rather brief and boring lunch, the king bid the mortal girl to follow him to his study while the blonde prince was sent on a small mission in Vanaheim. Thor obeyed his father's wish although he would have preferred to stay and spend some time with the lovely woman sitting across from him at the table. But now he planned on impressing her with his warrior skills once he returned from this quest successfully.   
"Take a seat, my dear, and make yourself comfortable as you shall spend the afternoon here with me." Odin declared once he and the girl entered the study and motioned towards a large dark-brown sofa on one side of the room while he sat down behind his massive desk. "These books over there are for you to study while I attend to some paperwork.”  
“You want me to read?” she asked sceptically as she couldn't grasp the greater purpose of this simple task.   
“In order to train and develop your power you have to learn the basics of magic in general, ancient knowledge written down on those pages." Odin added and _______ observed the heap of books on a small table in front of the sofa she sat upon, one of them older and thicker than the other.  
"As you wish, your majesty." she replied with a slight sigh and dragged the top book onto her lap, the old crumbled pages rustling as she turned them. The text about how magic grows and flows within the body was not in a Midgardian language – it was Asgardian actually – yet her eyes flew over the lines and she understood every word without any problem. From time to time she glanced up from the book and towards the king, who seemed rather busy over there, the pen gliding smoothly across the untouched paper. Yet it was not the old man she watched, no, it was the younger one with raven-black hair who held her interest.  
"Such staring is considered impolite you know." Odin suddenly said, not looking up from his writing, as he had noted her burning gaze lingering on him far too long to be coincidental.   
"Says the one who hides behind a mask." she replied cockily, knowing that the answers she longed for wouldn't escape the Aesir's mouth without explicit provocation. As she had predicted, the old man looked up and as their gazes met, _____ swore that there was a green spark in his one good, usually grey, eye. Odin stared at her, not sure whether she was aware of his secret and his mind was already thinking the possible consequences through if she did know that he was an imposer.   
“There is no mask you could possibly see.” He finally replied, trying to brush off the matter as soon as possible.  
“If it is not a mask then why is the image of a young man shining through your features, your majesty? A man whom I look very much alike.” she said and a cold shiver ran down the king's spine. _No one is capable of discovering this particular spell of mine, not even Heimdall the all seeing Vanir. Her powers are truly unique..._ he thought to himself as he leaned back in his luxurious chair.   
“Who are you?” she added before Odin could response and a sly smirk appeared on his wrinkled lips. Apparently, the Avengers hadn't shown her any images of him from his attack on Midgard, a neglect which played nicely into the Trickster's hands. Now that he was sure that she saw his real identity, the next step was to make sure that she would keep it to herself. _Thor mustn't know._  
“Well, you have sharp eyes, my dear.” the king said while green light surrounded him and seconds later the old man was gone, giving way for the raven-haired man beneath. ______ eyed him suspiciously, her emerald orbs glistening dangerously as did his. The study was shielded from Heimdall's eyes by another powerful spell of the Trickster thus he could speak freely and show himself here.  
“I am Loki Laufeyson, the God of Mischief and Lies.” he said with his trade-mark smirk plastered across his face, enjoying how the girl's face turned blank at this revealing.   
“Have you heard of me before?” his rich, velvet-like voice rang delicately in her pointed ears, slowly and smoothly like honey.  
“Yes... Thor and the Avengers mentioned you as they feared that we have a connection due to our... resemblance. They presumed that I was your accomplice.”   
“And what else did they tell you about me?” There was no point in lying or playing dumb because from his captivating aura, ______ knew that he possessed the power to gather the information he wanted, regardless of how she choose to behave. However, if she was honest to him, maybe she could learn more about him too.  
“Nothing. Your relationship with the Avengers is unknown to me but judging from Thor's reaction whenever you are mentioned I guess that you two shared a bond which was tragically destroyed. That could also explain the way he looks at me.” _And maybe why he tried to kill me at first glance..._ she thought but decided to keep that detail to herself for now.  
With his eyes still focused on her, Loki pondered over his next move as her nescience could be used to his advantage if he played his part well. However, he wouldn't be called the Trickster if Loki hadn't already come up with a fitting plan. _This shall be fun..._

 


	14. Now I know who you are

“What a perceptive little thing you are. It seems we share more than just the appearance.” the black-haired god at the table replied casually, his slender fingers entwined in front of his chest.   
“So, will you enlighten me of your relationship with Thor?” The small girl had no problem with facing the god's piercing gaze and his captivating aura, a rare quality to be found as most people would shudder from Loki's mere presence. _You truly are magnificent but you shall be caught in my web of lies nonetheless..._ Despite his most joyful mood, Loki's expressions visibly saddened before he began his splendid acting.  
“I am Thor's brother.” he admitted and watched how _____ froze in place. “From your reaction, I take it that you have heard of the rumors of my death but I can assure you, I am very alive.” he added with a slight smirk but the girl remained silent, her emerald eyed surveying him suspiciously. So he rose to pace around the room and began to spin the web of lies and half-truths this lovely spirit of nature was doomed to loose herself in.   
“My dear brother had always been in favor with our father, Odin, and as first born prince it was his right to rule as king, as he was often told by everyone. Unfortunately, the anticipation of this position and it's associated power turned Thor into a selfish, greedy man who would not hesitate to use gruesome means to achieve his goals. One day he almost started a war between Asgard and Jotunheim just to prove his legitimacy and readiness to rule. However, Odin realized that his golden son was spoiled and not fit for the burden and responsibilities bound to the crown. So he ripped Thor of his godly powers and banished him on Midgard – or Earth as you would call it.”   
Loki paused and looked over at ______ to ensure she was still listening and much to his satisfaction, she was literally glued to his lips and the words spilling from them. Like a sponge she absorbed every piece of information he offered her and didn't dare to interrupt the god's speech, fearing that he might stop if she did.  
“From the outside this measure might seem to have successfully guided the prince back to his morals as he joined the Avengers and helped to protect Midgard against many foes. Yet beneath this layer of a dedicated, kindhearted god lies the foul soul of an ambitious man who used this punishment to sneak his way into our father's heart and to gain his trust – more than ever. Even our beloved mother believed in the pureness of his intentions, until the very last moment of her life.”   
Speaking of Frigga woke deep emotions within the Trickster which he chose to hide from the world but in this case they would serve his cause well if permitted to surface. Thus he stared into nothingness while remembering the queen and clenched his fist's at the thought of her death.  
“Please, go on.” _______ whispered, obviously captivated by his story as she too had risen from the couch and stood next to him now.  
“The Dark Elves attacked Asgard and in a foolish attempt to defeat them and prove himself once more, Thor failed to protect our mother, Frigga. Despite how tragic the loss was, Thor did not flinch from using it to underline his indispensability in this war and demanded to lead our troops into the final battle on Svartalfheim. Blinded by his grief and desperation, Odin granted Thor's wish – he even put me under his leash to follow his commands like a mere dog.”  
“And you won, didn't you?” the girl said, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and something else Loki couldn't name yet.  
“Oh the victory was glorious and Thor was merely a glimpse away from his dream of becoming king. Except for one person who was still in his way – me!”  
“W..why? You said he was first-born?”  
“Yes but during his exile on Midgard, I was proclaimed the successor of the throne and this decree had never been revoked. So Thor betrayed me, his own brother, to eliminate the last obstacle in his way and clandestinely murdered me in the chaos of battle.” The girl was shocked but before she could comment on his revelations, Loki continued. There was still one crucial point to be added to his little fairytale in order to convince her, to make her trust him.  
“Still it was not enough for Thor to be the rightful successor, no, he longed to sit the throne immediately. Thus he assassinated Odin with the help of others, slaying him in his own chambers hidden from the gatekeeper's all-seeing eyes.”  
“But then you showed up....” Slowly her mind began to put the pieces together and all Loki needed to do was to confirm her chain of conclusions.  
“Indeed. In his rush for power, Thor had foolishly forgotten about my honed magic skills which allowed me to fake my death and return to Asgard to witness my father's assassination. All I could do was to kill the culprits and take over Odin's place as king. In order to protect the realm from the monster Thor had become, I needed to create this illusion, this mask, and carry the burden of the crown because as long as Odin is alive, Thor has no right to claim the throne for his own.”  
“So Thor is the villain here and you are the great savior of Asgard, the hero who sacrifices his own identity to serve his realm?” With her beautiful eyes full of seriousness, the girl looked up at the god towering above her and met his piercing gaze which was so much like her own. Without reading her mind, Loki knew that she was at the brink of trusting him, of becoming his ally but still her whole body was tensed and ready to fight, depending on Loki's next move. Thus the raven-haired man slowly stepped closer, closing the remaining distance between them until they were merely inches apart and carefully put his hands on both her shoulders, his eyes searching for any reaction to his daring. But the girl didn't flinch away from his touch like she would from Thor – yes, that little detail hadn't eluded the Trickster's sharp eyes – and so he continued in a much softer voice.  
“Please, ________, for the sake of the Nine Realms, promise me that you will keep this secret to yourself. No one must know the truth about what happened, about who lurks behind Odin.” This flood of information was much more than _______ had hoped for and only scarcely did she grasp the greater meaning and consequences of her being divulged into this secret. Could she trust this other god or was he the real liar? Admittedly, she could very well imagine that Thor was capable of those terrible deeds, especially because of what he had done to her. _He tried to kill me because he thought I was Loki! Because he saw a threat in me that the truth might come to light... It would all make sense..._ _But it would also mean that I am in great danger now._  
Loki sensed her inner conflict, a back and forth which only needed a gentle push towards the direction he desired. And a push was what he delivered deliberately.  
“_______, please! I confided in you and being fully aware that this knowledge is a burden of its own, I ask for your silence and help. Imagine what Thor would do to you, to us, if he found out!” he whispered as if he was afraid that the blonde god could hear him, his emerald eyes almost pleading as he looked down upon her. The girl pondered over his words for another moment and at the vision of waking Thor's wrath she raised her voice, ringing with determination.  
“Thor mustn’t know – never. Your secret is safe with me, which makes me your accomplice after all, Loki. But whether I will serve you, the king of Asgard, remains a decision for only me to make. I am not sure if I wish to stay in this realm.” she replied and Loki inwardly smirked ever so devilishly as his twisted mind together with his silver tongue had accomplished exactly what he had intended to.   
“Indeed, we are in this together now and of course, I shall not force you to stay here.” he purred and allowed a small fraction of his inner amusement to surface, painting a handsome smile on his thin lips. _Oh eventually you will dedicate your life to me, little one. And by using your powers I shall rule over all the Nine Realms!_  
  
***

  
  
After this intense encounter with Odin, I spent another two hours reading in the books he provided for me until I was too tired to remember a single sentence. Luckily, Odin – or rather Loki – sensed my discomfort and released me from my lesson for today, allowing me to walk back to my chambers. On the way, my mind was lost in thoughts of what had been revealed to me so that I almost didn't notice the small group of people approaching me. There were two men, one with a large girth and the other with a curved blonde mustache, together with a black-haired woman wearing an armor too. Their chattering stopped and their eyes widened the moment they saw me. Luckily, Birgit had put some consideration into the choice of garment as my scales and tail were hidden beneath the layers of caramel silk of my floor-length dress, its sleeves reaching down to my wrists. Additionally, some strands of my hair covered the pointy ends of my ears so that all in all I looked like a human girl.  
“Good evening.” I politely said as I passed them, even granting them a small smile but they remained frozen in place like statues, only their eyes following me in astonishment.   
“Excuse me, my lady!” the blonde man called before I reached the door to my room, his footsteps echoing through the hallway as he hurried after me.  
“A lovely maiden such as you wouldn't have eluded my eyes yet I have never had the pleasure to meet you, my lady. May I know your name?” the curious man asked while his two friends walked over to us too. From their reactions I concluded that my looks confused them a lot and somehow I was in the mood to make fun of that fact. Thus I waited for the bearded red-head and the warrioress to be in earshot before I answered with a bright smile.  
“I'm Loki!” Oh I could literally hear the clank of their jaws as they dropped to the floor, their faces distorted by horror, surprise, shock and utterly confusion. The sight was truly worth the little lie and I had trouble to keep myself from bursting with laugher.   
“Sorry, I was just kidding. My name is ________!” I giggled and smiled ever so innocently at them while they recovered from the shock. Especially the woman seemed to be upset the most and when her right hand twitched towards the hilt of her sword, my body tensed and instinctively I readied my tail under my skirt to attack if she should draw her weapon. Luckily, the blonde man interfered and put his hand over the woman's, preventing her from acting foolishly and calming her.  
“Oh, that was a rather delicate joke, my lady. These are the Lady Sif and Volstagg and I am Fandrall the Dashing!” he explained and dared to take my hand to plant a kiss on my knuckles, a gesture his black-haired friend could only frown at. Apparently, Fandral didn't mind that I looked like Loki that much, an attitude which told a lot about his character. _I bet a lot of ladies fall for his charm but I won't_ _fall for_ _it!_ I thought to myself and pretended to be flattered by his courtesy. “Yes, nice to meet you.”   
Although Sif hadn't spoken a single word, her expression gave away her suspicion and mistrust towards me. Well, I couldn't blame her since she probably believed that Loki was dead, like the rest of the realm. Thus I had to mind my words around them as not to let this major secret, which I was supposed to keep, leak. Volstagg, who seemed a nice fellow, took his friend as an example and kissed my hand too, his beard scratching my exposed skin.  
“The pleasure is all ours.” Volstagg replied when he straightened up again.   
“So I do hope that you will be attending the feast tomorrow night too?” Fandral asked to prevent an awkward silence to spread between us four while Sif glared at me.  
“Oh, I didn't know there will be one! What is the cause for celebration?”   
“Prince Thor shall return from his mission on Svartalfheim – successfully of course.” Fandral explained joyfully in anticipation of the merriment.  
“But how can you be sure of that already?”  
“Because Thor is the finest warrior in all the Nine Realms, my lady. All other realms fear his powers!” Volstagg said, obviously proud of his own prince and laughed, his large belly heaving. “He isn't called 'the Mighty Thor' for naught!”   
“Indeed, and there is nothing he loves more after a battle than to feast and drink!” Fandral added and probably envisioned the many ladies he would flirt with at this occasion. _'All other realms fear his powers'_ the words rang in my ears like the warning I had received in the pond not too long ago.  
~ _Don't trust the A_ _e_ _sir, they ar_ _e_ _monsters, they are murderer!~_  
“So you are Thor's friends then?” This was a crucial detail I had to be sure about.  
“We have been through thick and thin together and fought many battles at Thor's side! We are his truest of friends.” Eventually, Sif had chosen to speak with me but her tone indicated that she questioned the reasons why I was here on Asgard on Odin's behalf. _This one is hard to_ _get through to_ _..._  
“How fortunate he is to have such loyal friends. Well, it has become rather late and I would like to retire now. Good night.” I said with a polite, sweet smile before I turned around and walked on towards my room.  
“Good night, my lady.” Just before I vanished behind the large ornamented doors to Loki's old chambers, I could hear their scandalized gasps from down the hallway. I enjoyed this little mischief more than I should.

 


	15. Honor and Blood

Dirty and exhausted. That was how the Thunderer felt when the last foe had died by his hammer, the corpses surrounding him and his soldiers, the stench of death polluting the air. Here in this wasteland on Svartalfheim, amongst the yellow rocks and dusty caves, a large group of Dark Elves had been hiding from the Asgardians, hoping to rebuild their kingdom and take revenge someday. Over the year that has passed since their leader, Malekith, was beaten, this remaining colony had become careless and dropped their protection spell enough for Heimdall to spot them. A crucial mistake which lead to their death. Not a single one of them survived the attack by the Asgardians, no woman nor child, Thor made sure of that and the hammer drenched in blood beard witness to his deeds. At first Thor hadn't had such cruel intentions but during the fighting he remembered that it had been those vile creatures who had slaughtered many Asgardians, who had dared to destroy the palace and who had murdered his mother without hesitation. They had to pay and now Frigga's death was avenged – over four thousand lives for hers. Yet the hole in Thor's heart was still aching as there was another lost life that he frantically tired to make the elves pay for. _Loki_...   
Thor sank to his knees, the yellow dust covering his boots and turning the brilliant red cape into a dirty piece of cloth. With his free hand he touched the dry ground, rubbing the earth between his fingers, and under crucial pain he remembered how he held his brother until all life had left him. And then he had left him there, not by choice of course but to protect a woman he now no longer loved. At least the Aether was secured and sealed away but at what price?  
After Loki's body had been transported to Asgard, Odin didn't waste time to arrange the funeral, which was way less pompous than the one Frigga had received, not honoring the heroic deeds Loki had done in the very end. But the people of Asgard would never understand, for them, Loki will always remain the villain, the monster parents tell their children about. For Thor, however, Loki would always remain his little brother.   
In silence Thor knelt amongst the corpses of elves while his soldiers collected the wounded and it was there, in this hopeless, desolated place that the Thunderer shed tears for his brother.

***

  
Loud trumpets and horns announced the return of the prince and his soldiers, the cheering crowd welcoming them at the large golden gates of the palace, throwing flowers as they rode by. With large steps, the Thunderer approached the entrance of the palace after he had dismounted and as lost in thoughts as he was, he almost didn't notice the group of people awaiting him there. Clad in his light armor, Odin himself stood in the large doorway, the Warriors Three and _______ at each of his sides. Thor's mood hadn't changed much since he had departed from Svartalfheim but the moment his gaze fell upon the lovely lady in the violet dress, it did brighten. However, there still was this slight pang in his heart because whenever he saw her, he saw Loki too.  
“Welcome home, my son!” Odin proudly greeted the prince who knelt before him, as did the others when he rose again. Only _______ remained silent, not a word crossed her soft lips, and the longer she beheld Thor's blood-covered armor, the more horrified she became. She could barely imagine how many lives the blonde had erased during this mission for there was blood everywhere on his body, even in his face. The soldiers behind the prince didn't look any better and _______ wondered if it had been Loki who had given the order to this slaughter.   
“We have successfully cleansed Svartalfheim of the Dark Elves, father.” Thor reported and Odin nodded approvingly. “It has been a tough battle but they stood no chance against us.” the prince added and shot a quick glance towards the raven-haired woman to check whether she was impressed by his glorious victory as he had hoped for. Sadly, ______ didn't return his gaze and instead looked at the stone floor, disgust and horror plainly visible on her face.   
“Well done, my son. We shall feast and celebrate your victory tonight!” Odin declared and Fandrall and Volstagg each slung an arm around their friend, both happy for him, while Sif kept her distance and smiled brightly. Then the small party made it's way inside the palace, ______ walking beside the king after he had offered her his arm as Thor noted, and soon they split up. Thor headed towards his chambers to clean himself, followed by Fandrall and Volstagg who were eager to hear the details of the battle and Sif, who pretended to be solely interested in the stories and not in the prince himself. In the meantime, Odin led the other woman towards his study where she was to continue her today's magic lesson and ______ was glad to find distraction in the books which had been waiting for her on the comfortable couch next to the king's desk. While reading, some other important matters appeared on her mind, details which she needed to discuss with the raven-haired god, who sensed her unease.  


“What bothers you, my dear?” Loki said and put the pen down as the documents in front of him were neither very important nor entertaining.   
“About the feast tonight...” she replied and looked up from the old pages, her eyes focused on nothing in particular. “What should I tell the people who ask why I am here? Being Odin's guest doesn't suffice.” Acknowledging her point of reason, Loki pondered for a moment before he came up with a fitting suggestion.  
“It would be wise to keep your true identity hidden for now, a fact that Thor also agreed upon and since it is important that he confirms your story you should introduce yourself as Thor's friend from Midgard whom he wished to present to his dear father.”   
“The way this sounds one might easily assume that I am Thor's love-interest.” She was not at all amused about this proposition, her eyes narrowing and sparkling dangerously at the god who burst into an amused chuckle at her reaction. _She doesn't realize how true this is, that Thor does have a certain interest in her..._ _or should I say, a hungry desire?_ Loki thought to himself with a smirk.  
“I can clearly see that you wouldn't stick to that roll so you better pretend to be a platonic friend of his, a scientist like Tony Stark, who wished to study the wonders of this realm. Satisfied?”  
“Yes, that sounds a lot better!” she retorted quickly and relaxed a bit. It would be a tough task to play nice around the blonde giant whom she hated, but better that than having to pretend to love him. _How ridiculous, I could never love him._  
“Good, now that this is settled you should inform Thor about it too. Otherwise we risk that he ruins my cover.” she added and Loki simply nodded before she continued. “Another matter which we should consider is my appearance as it is too conspicuous.”  
“Special would be a more fitting description but you are right, we cannot let you walk amongst the crowd like that. Luckily I have just the spell you were about to ask of me.” With a gentle weave of his slender hand, the golden scales on the girls skin sparkled greenish before they disappeared as did the tail and the pointed ears. Surprised by what magic could accomplish, _____ put the book away and rose from the couch, pulling up the long sleeves of her dress to examine her now pale human skin.   
“Wow...” she gasped as she removed her hair to behold her round ears, while Loki watched her intently, being captivated by her lovely bright smile.  
“This spell is rather tricky as it only hides certain parts of your appearance from someone's eyes but it does not remove them.” Loki explained as he rose and walked over to her.   
“Yes, I can still feel my tail... this magic of yours is amazing.” she said and looked up at the tall man who stood now in front of her, this male self of hers.  
“It is nothing in comparison to what you will be able to accomplish if you keep up your studying.” he said and leaned down to whisper gently into her ear, his breath tickling her skin as he purred. “And I shall gladly help you to hone your skills should you chose to stay in Asgard.” ____ chuckled softly and blushed slightly as Loki noted when he withdrew himself again.  
“You seem to be pretty curious about my powers, it makes me wonder of what use they could be to you...” she replied casually and walked towards the door of the study where she curtsied before she took her leave. “Let's see how I will decide but for now I need to get ready for the feast. If you'll excuse me, your majesty.”    


***  
  
When I entered my chambers, Birgit was already waiting and led me straight into the bathroom. “You are late, my lady!  We have to be quick now! ” she complained while she washed me but when I told her that the king himself had been the reason for my delay she dropped the subject  and instead asked where my scales  and tail had gone.  
“I've learned to make them invisible...” was all she got as a response from me and luckily she was satisfied.   
“ Oh so you are able to wield magic?”   
“Yes, a little...” It was only half a lie because even if I couldn't perform any spell yet, with the help of those books I will be able to once my powers are fully developed.  
“ That is a rare talent, you know, and only few manage to hone their skills to perfection, like prince Loki for example. The queen herself taught him all she knew and she too had great powers. But Loki was truly gifted in that regard!”  Birgit said in her joyful, ringing voice while she  gently  rubbed my body dry with a huge white towel and I wondered what it feels like to have a mother.  _Thor and Loki knew but they lost her... I probably can never understand their pain._   
After finishing the bath and drying my hair,  I walked outside the bathroom with just a towel around my body to meet Birgit in the adjacent bedroom.  
“The king requests that you wear this dress tonight, my lady.” she said with a dark-green cloth in hand, her expressions strangely altered.  _Why was she nervous?_   
“What's wrong, Birgit?” I asked worriedly while I held up the silken dress against my body to see if it would fit at all.   
“Well... ahm... this color...you know, black, green and gold – those were prince Loki's colors and I am not sure if it is wise to wear them openly. It could be regarded as an offense, especially for prince Thor.” Obviously sad the older woman looked away before she regained her joyful composure. “Anyways, if the king chose this color it shall be fine! Now come, let me help you with that!”  _Loki's colors, huh? I bet it is no coincidence that those are my colors too..._ I thought to myself while Birgit laced the back of the dress. _The choice of color was to torment Thor without doubt but I wonder if that is Loki's only intent...  
_

_***  
  
_ For tonights occasion, the golden prince had chosen to wear his light armor as it wasn't a formal banquet, however, a fresh brilliant red cape couldn't be omitted. Thor wasn't punctual by nature but tonight Odin had asked him to guide the lady ______ to the dining hall. Thus he hurried with large strides down the hallway to pick her up and from afar he spied her already standing outside the chambers, waiting for him.   
Oh what a sight she was in this dark-green, floor length dress which matched her sparkling eyes, the sleeves ornamented with tiny golden dots until her pale slender hands came forth from beneath the silk. For modesty's sake the cleavage wasn't showing much and her black loose hair concealed most of her neck and shoulders. When Thor was close enough to see her face clearly, he almost gasped and as so often he was reminded of his brother. Instead of letting some strands fall into her porcelain face, all front hair was held back by skillful braiding in the Asgardian fashion and Thor wondered whether this hairstyle – which Loki had worn too sometimes - was on purpose. _Nonsense, I am being haunted. Maidens all across Asgard wear their hair in such a fashion..._ He told himself and smiled down at the girl.   
"Ready for the merriments?" he asked joyfully and offered her his arm which she accepted without much hesitation. She nodded. Through the thin linen sleeves he could feel the soft touch of her arms and at this proximity her flowery scent reached his nose – roses and lavender. "  
You look very lovely, especially in this color." he said as they walked further down the hallway and then around a corner to the left.    
"Thank you, I am glad that you see it that way." the girl replied and from her words Thor supposed that she had already been informed about whom this color had belonged to. Admittedly, it was quite bold to wear green merely one year after Loki's death and the court would be provoked for sure – but what can you expect from the Trickster's image?   
"It would be a crime to forbid you to wear this dress." the god replied and halted in front of a large wooden door, his piercing blue orbs staring down upon her. "Wear this color with proud." Again she noted the longing in his eyes and his intense gaze caused her to blush slightly while at the same time her body tensed, ready to fight or flee. So it was no surprise that her following words were only a whisper.   
"Ok ... Thor." The god was very pleased by the way his name passed her soft lips, a sound he wouldn't grow tired of, and he could only imagine the sensation of hearing her moan his name while wriggling beneath him.

_I desire her._

 


	16. The Mighty Thor

The very moment the two entered the dining hall, silence flooded the room as everyone present turned to have a look at the prince and his friend from Midgard. Gasps and whispers followed as Thor and _____ made their way past the long tables in the front where the brave soldiers sat who had accompanied the prince on the latest mission. The black-haired girl could feel their burning gazes, how they pierced her flesh, carrying pure astonishment and blunt disgust, which caused her to believe that the second prince of Asgard hadn't been loved that much. In the back of the hall were another three large tables, stocked with guests clad in finest silk, all of them highborn lords and ladies and some of them even had the honor of calling themselves advisors of the king himself. On the table in the middle on a chair that could be considered a throne sat Odin, sipping at his golden goblet while his one grey eye watched his son and the girl approach. Secretly, he couldn't help but admit that ______ looked ravishing in this color and not even the brute beside her could diminish her radiance.

As befit the golden prince, Thor was to sit right to his father in the seat of honor and courteous he pulled the chair next to him away from the table for the black-haired woman to sit upon. As soon as both had made themselves comfortable, a servant hurried over and filled their glasses with rich red wine and the chatting from before continued. Only a few piercing and curious gazes remained upon them, which _____ chose to ignore.

During the meal there wasn't much talking at the royal table as everybody was busy with eating the delicious meals – four courses for this occasion, two of which ______ had to leave untouched. In contrast, Thor devoured the piles on his plate rather effortlessly as he was used to the size and the wine increased his hunger rather than curbing it. When the tables were cleared again, the soldiers started to tell their glorious deeds during the latest mission, which were without doubt exaggerated, and their beloved prince wasn't omitted in their boasting. Proudly the Warriors Three reported of Thor's fierceness in battle, how he slew countless beasts and how every enemy trembled at the mere thought of the mighty Thunderer. The black-haired woman listened intently to Fandral who sat further down at the same table, his voice loud enough so that every guest present could hear him.   
“... and with one vigorous swing of his hammer the stone-giant was defeated, bursting into thousands of pieces!” Laughter and cheering flooded the hall while Thor grinned and took another large sip from his goblet, hoping that his popularity and heroism would impress the lady at his side. Tonight she seemed to be more relaxed around him than usually, which Thor enjoyed a lot although he couldn't name the reason.   
“I say there is no finer, braver warrior in all the Nine Realms than the Mighty Thor Odinson!” Volstagg called out and the crowd howled and called the prince's name in approval. _____ smirked and rolled her eyes slightly as did the old king at the head of the table, his sulkiness well hidden behind his smile. Soon after, Odin chose to retire for tonight and rose, which did the entire crowd to bid their king goodnight with a bow.

Now the Warriors Three and the Lady Sif dared to occupy the empty chairs across from Thor and the quiet lady at his side.  
“So tell us more about yourself, my lady!” Volstagg urged and leaned back in his chair, stroking his red rough beard as he listened.  
“There isn't much thrilling about me, I am just a scientist seeking to discover the wonders of this realm.” she explained with a smile, hoping that the topic of the conversation would change again soon and that Thor would play his part well.  
“What a luck then that you acquainted our prince who took you here!” Fandral put in with a hinting grin but ______'s expressions didn't change one bit, not revealing her true thoughts. “Yes, how fortunate.”  
“And during your stay I shall show you all the precious places of Asgard!” Thor declared joyfully and _______ smiled in order to pretend being friends.”That sounds wonderful.”   
  


***

It was long after midnight when Steve discarded the thought of sleeping as he had been trying for hours in vain. The moment he closed his eyes he would see visions in his worried mind, how it imagined ______'s fate and wellbeing on Asgard. Horrid pictures popped up before his inner eye, showing him how the little black-haired girl was being mistreated and tortured by the gods, caged in a cold palace in this far-away world he would never be able to reach. Countless times Steve had called for the gatekeeper, shouting at the sky for mercy until he gave up with a broken heart. Yet he knew that there must be another way, a loop-hole to travel across realms because Loki had been able to come to Earth which was considered impossible – at least Thor had said so.  
However, even if there did some secret passageways exist, how could a normal human like Steve find them, let alone open them? Loki had his magic but Steve had no-  
 _Wait a minute..._  
Like being hit by a bolt, the Captain shot up from bed and stormed down the dark hallway in his boxers, only halting when he found the object he needed. _Yes, this could work.._. he thought to himself, both enthusiasm and wariness fighting in his mind as he stood before one of the metal tables in Tony's lab. Carefully but very determinedly he picked up the golden scepter and the blue gem at it's top lit up, signaling that it was willing to help the human holding it. Steve smiled winningly and his eyes turned an unnaturally sparkling shade of blue.   


***  


  
“No more mead for me please!” the black-haired girl said when a servant was about to refill her goblet. Over time she had lost count of how much alcohol she had consumed but it was definitely enough to make her way more talkative and relaxed – maybe a little to much for her (sober) taste. The feast was long over so Thor and his friends moved to the salon in his rooms, which was more cozy and private. Sitting around a large fireplace on luxurious couches, they talked about topics like politics or the king but mostly about love-affairs and conquests. Fandral was quite successful with his charm and etiquette – which _____ couldn't understand at all – while Volstagg seemed to be more interested in food than anything else. His dream-wife should be able to cook every dish across the Nine Realms whenever he wished and in great quantities, he declared. What a pity that he will most likely never find such a woman. And while the red-haired warrior continued to raved about his favorite meals, ______ listened and chuckled, not noticing how the god beside her slid closer to her on the couch they shared. However, someone else present did and she couldn't believe that the prince showed some interest in a woman who resembled his brother. Infected by dreadful jealousy, Sif narrowed her mahogany-brown eyes and took a long sip at her goblet, her grip on it's stem tightening.

 


	17. Sword or Mischief

It was close to midday when Birgit entered the royal chambers to wake the raven-haired woman sleeping in the large black four-poster bed. Curled up in green and golden sheets, she slumbered peacefully and the abigail hesitated to admire the lovely sight. _So innocent and pretty, like prince Loki was in his youth..._ she thought to herself as she touched the girl's scaled shoulder, shaking her gently.   
“My lady, it is past time for you to get up. We can't have you sleep all day, can we?” Birgit whispered when ______ opened her eyes slightly, a thin slit of emerald green looking up at the disturbance of her sleep.   
“Why not?” she groaned and nuzzled her cheek into the soft pillow, drifting away again.  
“Because you shan't miss your lesson with the king! And besides, it does not befit a lady to loiter in bed like that.” Birgit declared as she pulled the thick black curtains away from the windows, allowing the bright and unforgiving daylight to flood the room. ______ flinched and silently cursed the older woman but then got up reluctantly, her head still dizzy from the alcohol last night. The feast had been quite amusing, especially the after-party in Thor's rooms, as she remembered. However, in her sober state she realized what indecent things could have happened there if the others hadn't been present and swore never to enter these chambers alone. _Fear him! Run from him!_ Yes, she must always remember that.

Rubbing her eyes she realized that the spell concealing her true form had ceased so that the golden scales and her tail were visible for everyone again. She would ask Loki to cast it anew and eventually to teach her how to do it on her own. 

 

Today the king's mood wasn't at its best to say the least, although it brightened when a knock at the door interrupted his pondering and the raven-haired girl with golden scales entered the study.   
“Good day, my lady. Or should I rather say 'good morning'?” Loki, who had transformed back to his own appearance, teased as she sat down on the couch with the books. Despite the late hour she had gone to bed last night, there were only a few hints visible in her face, for example a slight shadow under her eyes.   
“If not for a certain abigail, I would still be sleeping.” she explained with a smile as she was happy to be in time for her lesson nevertheless.  
“So the evening has been quite merry, I take it?” the king asked and from his voice, ______ sensed that he would have very much liked to join the group of friends. But of course he couldn't as it would have blown his cover, his biggest secret, which must be kept hidden for a while longer.  
“Well, the Asgardian alcohol is tastier and stronger than I anticipated. But I guess everybody ought to experience a hangover at least once.” she said while she flipped through the large book in order to find the page she had been reading the last time. “But don't worry, you didn't miss much. The guys boasted with their love-conquests and affairs which you probably already heard of.”  
“More than I can count! How typical of Fandral! Has he not had his fill of naïve, willing maidens already?” Loki scoffed, more to himself than to her, and _____ chuckled sweetly.   
“Sounds like you are jealous?”  
“Oh on the contrary, my dear. There is rarely a woman who could resist my charm.” the black-haired god purred with a smirk yet ______ only rolled her eyes at his boasting. _Of course..._  
“Speaking of, during the feast I noted that Thor has a rather strong impact on the ladies, especially Sif.” she said with a hinting smirk much like the Trickster's.  
“You have no idea how smitten she is with him and how often she had tried to win him! Yet the oaf never noticed her affection and treats her no different than his male friends.” Loki chuckled as he leaned back in his large chair, obviously amused by Sif's unfulfilled love-life.  
“What a pity... I hope she isn't jealous of me just because Thor brought me to Asgard.”   
“Believe me, you would know if she was.” Loki replied in a warning tone as he had more than once witnessed how Sif banished another woman from Thor's circle of friends and it hadn't been pretty at all.  
  
About two hours later, when both Loki and the girl were engrossed in their reading, someone knocked rather loudly at the door, almost banging it out of the hinges.  
“You may enter!” the old king said after he had quickly shape-shifted, casting a concealing spell over the girl's scales just in case as well, and seconds later the prince entered the study.   
“Greetings, father, my lady!” As forcefully as he had opened the door, he closed it again.  
“Thor, how often do I need to remind you to use your strength in moderation!?” Odin chided the smiling prince who chose to ignore his father's grumbling and instead stepped towards the girl on the couch.  
“Forgive me father, but I wanted to ask the lady if she would like to accompany me to the training grounds?” Thor asked politely and looked expectantly at ______, who was rather positively surprised by this proposal since she had become tired from all the sitting.  
“Well, I have finished this chapter anyways so... yes, gladly! but I will only watch – no fighting!” she declared as she put the book away and rose, straightening the skirt of her lilac dress.   
“As you wish!” Her answer conjured a wide smile on Thor's face and he beamed with joy as he led her outside, again ignoring the piercing gaze of the old king.   
“Until later, your majesty!” was all Odin got to hear before the door shut again and with an irritated sigh he returned to his paperwork. Maybe ______ would learn a thing or two by watching Thor and his friends spar, like discovering their weak spots or habits – information which would be useful should she ever fight them. _What a sight it would be if my own image defeated the warriors_ _or even Thor_ _..._ Loki thought to himself and smirked.

 

With locked arms, Thor and the raven-haired girl arrived at the training grounds where Fandrall and Hogun already battled each other mercilessly.   
“Ah, there you are!” Volstagg called as he noted the couple approaching him. “My lady ______, will you join the sparring?” he asked with a smile and his words caused Sif to look up from grinding her sword, her eyes narrowing when she saw how close this other woman was to the prince.  
“Oh no, that's nothing for me! But I'm really excited to see you perform!” ______ smiled at the big warrior who held up his axe to demonstrate his strength. Inspired by both the surrounding and his friends on the grounds, Thor grabbed the nearest practicing sword and dragged Volstagg away.   
“Come then, my friend!” 

Intently the girl watched the fights from the side, cheering everyone in turn as they fought, which pleased the warriors – especially Thor and Fandrall. The latter would look at ______ and wink from time to time but she replied only with a nice smile. Later, when Sif sparred with Hogun, Fandrall stood slightly panting beside the black-haired woman, his eyes roaming over her lovely body as she seemed not to take notice of him. In silence he admired her beauty until his view was blocked by the prince who was having a break.   
“Did you see my last move?” Thor asked eagerly while he wiped the sweat off his forehead with a towel, his skin glistening in the sun.  
“It was quite spectacular. But Volstagg almost got you!” she replied with a smirk, causing the god's smile to crumble slightly but it reappeared soon. “Perhaps I got distracted...”   
“By what?” _____ asked curiously, oblivious to the fact that she was the cause of diversion. Suddenly Thor leaned down a bit, his piercing blue eyes capturing hers as he whispered. “By a black-haired, fair lady.” _______ stared up at him and for a split second she forgot to fear the god in whose eyes she lost herself the longer she beheld them.  
“Lady _____!” Sif suddenly called as she approached, catching the overall attention so that every one turned to look at her and Thor straightened up again. “How about a short sparring round together?”  
“Uhm, no, that wouldn't be a good idea. I..I don't know how to fight!” ______ lied and stepped back from the other woman who already offered her a practicing sword.   
“Nonsense, you ought to have picked something up from all the watching!” Sif countered and despite her smile, _____ could sense how eager Sif was to beat her in front of the others. Well, maybe the lady Sif needs to be taught a lesson,the black-haired girl thought to herself. Then she confidently took the sword from the other woman as she had already come up with a nice strategy to win. “Fine.”  
  
Intently and with slight worries in his mind, Thor watched the two women circling each other in deadly silence. None dared to speak nor to interrupt the fight somehow and Fandral even dropped commenting as usual. For fairness sake, Thor had insisted that both use the sword since Sif was far to highly skilled with the spear which she had chosen otherwise. Nevertheless, _____ had some trouble at the start as she had never before wielded such a weapon but soon she figured out how Sif preferred to attack and dodged all her blows. _____ was incredibly fast for a human – which was what the warriors still believed – and Sif chased her across the training ground without hitting her. As a result, Sif stood panting heavily before the raven-haired girl who grinned sheepishly at her.   
“Tired already?” _____ teased, fueling Sif's anger on purpose so that the warrioress dashed forward for another powerful blow. _Just as I thought..._  


Over the past minutes, ______ had figured out her opponents patterns of attack and with a small step she avoided Sif's assault again, accompanied by a pointedly stroke with her sword. Effortless the moderately sharp blade cut through the cloth, splitting and tearing it apart so that a large part of Sif's bosom was visible. Immediately, she noted how revealing her linen blouse atop the leather corsage had become and automatically covered herself with her left hand. The men at the side cheered, especially Fandrall, and their attention only spurned Sif's embarrassment and ambition to strike back. However, since her left hand was occupied she couldn't move as freely as she wished, her own hand restricted her options. Just as ______ had anticipated, Sif wouldn't expose herself in front of Thor even if it meant a considerate disadvantage. The raven-haired girl smirked triumphantly as she dashed forward, her emerald eyes sparkling dangerously and only an alerted observer would have noted the thin slits her pupils had become.  
Quickly Sif positioned herself to dodge the blow, her feet ready to perform splendid foot-work but suddenly she stumbled and lost her balance. Eventually she found herself face-to-face with the dusty ground, her sword beside her and another blade at her cheek, the cool metal sending a chill down her spine.   


“Incredible! Congratulations, my lady!!” Fandrall called as he and the others approached the women.   
“What a fight! And you never held a weapon before?” Volstagg couldn't believe that this victory was merely due to luck alone, no, there had been some skill involved for sure. But the small girl only smiled innocently at the men and handed the red-head the sword back.   
“Beginner's luck as it seems. I swear this was my first time!” she replied and wiped the dirt off her dress while Sif slowly got up, her face grim.  
“Let me escort you to your rooms so that you may change clothes. And pray that your abigail doesn't see us...” Thor said as she surveyed the stains on the lilac dress, remembering how his mother had scolded him for ruining his clothes.  
“Good idea, let's hurry.” Admittedly, the god was right that a bath was in order but ______ didn't agree that he accompanied her again. However, before she knew it her arm was locked with Thor's and he led her away, a canny smile plastered across his face. In order to keep up appearances, _____ smiled back and didn't protest – although every fiber of her body screamed to run.  
Like a beaten dog, Sif trudged towards the weaponry, her mind searching frantically for an explanation. For the first time her feet had betrayed her during a fight, had deprived her of victory, yet when Sif turned around one last time to look at the training ground, she found no stone or suchlike there.  


Hidden behind a thick glass window, Odin watched in amusement the confused warrioress who couldn't comprehend the cause of her stumbling. The king smirked devilishly as he knew exactly what had happened down there, what mischief had been at work during the fight. No stone had brought her downfall, oh no, it was something of much more valuable material – like gold and vanadium.

 


	18. All on Fire

Fire, hot and blazing it burned around him no matter where he went and a see of red fervent lava stretched out before his eyes. Carefully at first, Steve dared to put one step after another but soon he noticed that these forbidding surroundings didn't harm him. His body wasn't affected by the merciless heat in any way since he was coated with a thin layer of blue light emitting from the scepter in his right hand, shielding him. Curiously he looked around and wondered if this was the glorious golden realm the gods lived in.   
~ No, my friend. This is not the realm you seek.~ a deep calm voice only Steve could hear whispered.  
 _Then why am I here?_ The human thought to himself, knowing that whatever sprit resided in the scepter could hear them. This strange companion had appeared in his mind the second he had touched the golden weapon back in Stark Tower, offering help and advise in this difficult quest. Gladly and without consideration, Steve had accepted and opened his heart and mind for the cold blue energy to enter. He had felt nothing but power when it had crept along his veins through his body.  
~You may find valuable allays here, enemies of Asgard who will help you defeat it.~ the voice explained and Steve shook his head in bewilderment.  
 _But I don't want to destroy it, I just wan't to get ______ back to Earth!_ The other inside his head chuckled darkly at the human's protest.  
~My friend, don't be a fool! It is the Aesir who have captured your friend. If you wish to ever see her again, you must put their home to the ashes.~   
Steve was torn as he could never defeat a whole army of gods nor was it his intent. All he wanted was to hold the raven-haired woman in his safe arms and loose himself in her beautiful eyes.  
~Hurry, little human. Or the mighty Thunderer will have his ways with the little girl.~ The voice cooed and horrible images flooded Steve's mind, how Thor dragged _______ out of her golden cage and threw her on the bed where he ravished her over and over again. Her screams for mercy drowned in the god's grunts and thunder.   
After this brief yet intense vision, all doubts had vanished and Steve's mind was once more filled with determination.   
~Good. Now follow my lead.~

Steve obeyed and held the golden scepter up as he was told, the blue gem sparkling even brighter before four bolts of energy shot in every cardinal direction. For several minutes he waited patiently until suddenly the ground gave way at different spots, thick black smoke fuming and revealing giant like creatures which crawled out of the lava. Tall like trees they were, their skin red and orange with parts of dried lava covering their limbs. Slowly the giants approached the human, their piercing yellow eyes surveying the stranger in their home.   
“What fool dares to set foot on Muspelheim?” one of the red creatures croaked hostilely, smoke rising from it's mouth as it spoke, but Steve wasn't impressed and smirked cunningly instead, his eyes sparkling unnaturally blue.  
“Not a fool but a man with ambition seeks you out to make you an offer.” Steve replied casually as if he was a bank consultant talking to one of his customers. The creatures snorted in amusement.  
“Ridiculous. What could you offer us Fire Giants, little human?”  
“The thrills of war and death but first and foremost the desolation of Asgard!” Steve announced ever so self-confidently and held up his arms to underline his enthusiasm. The offer was tempting indeed as the Fire Giants had always been sworn enemies to the Aesir due to a devastating war aeons ago, however, they didn't trust this obscure little man.  
“Let us pretend we would help you in this quest, how would we stand a chance against the whole army of Asgard, against the gods themselves?” the one who was probably the leader of the giants asked while gnashing his black teeth, his doubt written clearly across his features.  
“With this splendid weapon, which belonged to one of them. Look at it's tip and you may notice that this is far more than a scepter. Let me show you.” Steve replied and cupped the blue gem of the weapon with his other hand, affectionately stroking it as if it were a pet. Then the gem became translucent like glass and for a split second one could snatch a glimpse of what was hidden inside. The giants gasped.  
“Is it possible...?” 

Steve's grin widened as he now had the creature's full, undivided attention.

***

During our walk back to my room, Thor told me some more about the Warriors Three and how they had become dear friends of his over the decades. As much as I tried, I could only half listen to him because his thick arm locked with mine distracted me. Somehow it felt nice to walk with a man in such a fashion as it was close yet not too intimate and it made me feel secure. _How ironic to obtain such a feeling from the man who tried to kill you?_ I thought bitterly to myself and remembered that it was Thor, the reckless and cruel god of Thunder, after all. _But recently he had been nothing but nice and kind to me, as if he was a different person and nothing like the man Loki claimed him to be...  
_

We rounded the last corner on our way  while confusion spread in my mind, however, it had no chance to develop as I suddenly noticed how the door to my rooms opened and Birgit stepped outside. Reflexively Thor pulled me behind the nearest column and shoved me between him and the stone,  his arms resting on each side of me .  Hidden in the dark shadows we waited for the abigail to pass, hoping that she didn't see us as she wouldn't be amused about my ruined dress. Rigid like the stone behind me I stood there as the seconds slowly crept by, my body tensed yet thrilled by this situation. There wasn't much space so that our bodies almost touched, Thor's broad chest  merely an inch away as it  heaved  due to his breathing , the linen shirt of his thin armor revealing spots of bare skin here and there. While Thor watched out for Birgit, I secretly inhaled his scent,  relishing in it while I longed to touch him too, and in horror I caught myself enjoying to be so close to him.  _What is wrong with me?!_   


Luckily Birgit passed us without taking notice of our presence and when she was out of sight, Thor stepped out of the shadows again, sighing in relief.  
“That was close...” He said and looked in both directions of the hallway to make sure that the abigail was gone while I took another moment before I dared to follow.  
  
***

  
Inside the royal rooms, _______ walked straight towards the bedroom where the wardrobe stood and grabbed a clean dress when she noted the dirt stains on her arms and legs. “Damned..” she hissed, knowing that simply changing clothes won't suffice this time  and she cursed even more when her gaze fell upon the clock at the nightstand – one hour until dinner with Odin.   
“I need to bathe.” Was all she said when she passed the  tall  god in the salon on her way to the bathroom, banging the door shut behind her. Thor didn't bother and made himself comfortable on the black leather couch in front of the fire place, his gaze traveling across this room full of memories.  Absentmindedly he revived some precious moments of the past while he heard the dabbling of water next door which caused his thoughts to divert from childhood memories to quite more mature ones, containing a raven-haired girl bathing. The longer Thor imagined her inside the tub, the stronger his inner urge became to have a look – just a quick glance. Back at the training grounds he had so much enjoyed her presence, especially her cheering which had spurned him to put more effort into the sparring  and impress the lady . And when she fought against Sif, Thor admired ______'s grace as she danced across the ground and wished that the dress wouldn't cover most of her lovely legs. Lo s t in  indecent  thoughts, the god rose and snuck towards the bathroom,  his heartbeat quickening in anticipation of the sight he was about to behold. Carefully and with as less force as possible, Thor tried  to  pull down the handle and open the door wide enough for him to peek through.  With unsuspected skillfulness he managed the task without evoking a sound but suddenly the door opened wider,  seemingly  on it's own, and in the next moment ______ stood before him. Wrapped up in a too large white towel, her raven hair still damp, she stared wide-eyed at Thor and jumped at the unexpected encounter.   


“A-apologies, my lady!” the god stumbled quickly, scratching the back of his neck in his uneasiness as this was such an embarrassing situation, yet he couldn't take his eyes off her. Only when the girl stepped back a little, Thor found his lost tongue again. “Forgive me but ah... it is almost time for dinner and we shouldn't let the All-Father wait.”  
“Oh, yes I should hurry then...” Shyly she pulled the towel higher over her shoulder to cover her exposed skin as she felt terribly naked right now and hurried past the large blonde who didn't make way at first, mesmerized as he was. Without another word, _______ vanished inside the bedroom and this time she locked the door behind her before she walked on towards the wardrobe. Although there was only little time left until dinner, the girl paused when she rubbed her hair dry with the towel, her mind deep in thought while she recalled the look upon the god's face when he walked in on her earlier. For the second time now she had witnessed this special spark in his blue eyes and slowly she had a vague idea how to name it.

_Is it possible_ _that Thor actually likes me?_

 


	19. Snakes of Green

Since this stupid incident in the bathroom, the awkwardness between Thor and _______ hadn't diminished so that their perceptive king took notice of it the moment they entered the dining hall where he already awaited them. The whole dinner was strangely peaceful, almost oppressively silent, and Odin seemed to be the only one interested in some small talk let alone a profound conversation. In contrast to his usual behavior, Thor didn't finish his plate and excused himself rather early as he couldn't bare to be in the same room as ________ right now, did her sight only enhance his embarrassment and nearly cause him to blush. Back in his own chambers he let himself fall onto the soft four-poster bed, his clothes still on, and sighed. _Why in all the realms have I been stupid enough to stalk after ______? What was I thinking?!_ Again his conscience nagged at him, reasoning him into believing that this affection he felt for the girl was wrong, that she was an abomination, a sinful image of his brother, which shouldn't exist and that ultimately she would cause him nothing but danger and pain. In his misery, Thor sighed again and rolled over to lie on his stomach, his face buried in one of the soft pillows and soon after he fell into the depths of sleep.

***

Every light within the room was defunct, not even the moon shone tonight and so the dark figure could move around unseen inside the prince's chambers. Soft snoring reached the intruder's ears, guiding him to the sleeping god in the vast bed who didn't wake as the other man approached. Soundless the old king stood at his son's bedside, a stern look upon his wrinkled face as he was concerned by the latest development of things. During his usual wandering through _______'s mind, Loki had come across a very confused structure of her thoughts mixed with memories, all regarding the blonde god. At first, Loki was not amused to see that Thor had developed serious affections towards the girl and that he acted very friendly now which in turn was about to alter her impression of him to the better. If this continued, she would soon realize what a charming prince Thor could be and in the worst case reciprocate his feelings – a scenario Loki had to prevent from happening as he couldn't risk loosing the spirit of nature as his ally.   
On the other hand, however, these romantic feelings blossoming within his brother could be used to Loki's advantage. Moreover, with a little bit of magical help, they could even ensure that _____ continued to believe that Thor was every bit as cruel, selfish and murderous as Loki had told her – a crucial detail because otherwise his plans wouldn't work out as smoothly as they needed to. Disguised as Odin, Loki smirked devilishly in anticipation of the mischief he would unleash upon his brother, whose mind was overflowing with both pictures and fantasies of the raven-haired girl as  he was dreaming. _With your help, _____ shall tread the path leading straight to me....._  
Then the Trickster extended his right hand and gently touched his older brother's temple and while he whispered in ancient Asgardian, three tiny snakes of green light emitted the wrinkled fingers and crept along the blonde's skin. When the king had spoken the last word of the spell, the snakes vanished inside the god's head and begun the evil deed they were created for.

***

After about an hour of running through the vast golden palace in search for his brother, Thor halted on the large terrace which led to the gardens, his hands on his knees. The royal brothers loved to play hide and seek, especially Loki as he always had the best hiding places and came up with various ways to trick his older sibling, for example becoming invisible or very tiny. Usually, the area of the game was limited to certain rooms and the hallways between them but never did this territory include the gardens since they were too large. And right now, in his dream, they seemed to be sheer endless and more unkempt than in reality however, as it is the nature of dreams, Thor didn't realize the change. _Loki, where are you? I bet you didn't stick to the rules again..._ the young prince thought to himself as he descended the white marble steps and then walked along the beds of roses and lilies, their blossoms radiating in every color of the rainbow in the bright sunlight. Still convinced that his brother ought to be out there somewhere, Thor continued deeper into the more secluded parts of the garden. With every step he took, the flowers vanished and gave way to dark green thicket which soon towered high above the young lad. Only hardly did the sun-rays reach the ground so that the path became dark and sinister, causing the boy to reconsider his decision to venture here. However, he had to find his little brother because there was no way he would let Loki down. He would always protect him! Thus, Thor gathered all the courage he possessed at this young age, swallowed his fear and walked on when he suddenly heard the faint rippling of water in the distance. Quickly he followed the familiar sound until he reached a small clearing where a large affluent fountain stood enthroned, the pompous statue in its middle depicting the world tree, Yggdrasil. Entwined in its stone branches and roots sat the Nine Realms, represented by nine marble balls in different colors from which a steady stream of water poured out into the large circular basin below.  
“Brother, you finally found me!” Loki called as he sat idly at the margin of the fountain, his slender fingers playing with the cool blue water.   
“Loki, there you- “ The older prince stopped in his tracks when he noticed another person at his brother's side – a girl resembling him in every detail, even the colors of their clothes matched.   
“Meet my new friend, Thor!”   
Usually, the blonde had no problem with acquainting somebody yet this time he was shy as there was this consistent distinct uneasiness rumbling in his stomach. Nevertheless, Thor stepped closer and when the girl looked up at him, her sparkling emerald eyes betraying her evil nature despite her smile, he flinched back a little. For him, she reeked of danger so he grabbed his younger sibling by the arm in order to pull him away from her.  
“Let go of me!” Loki protested and wriggled himself out of Thor's grip. “I wish to stay with my friend, ______. Go and annoy somebody else!” Without consideration Loki fired the harsh words at his brother, who didn't understand any of them. Here in this dream, Thor knew for certain that this girl was capable of inflicting great anguish, not only upon himself but the entire Nine Realms too.  
“But can't you see that she is evil? She will cause nothing but destruction and death!” Thor shouted, pointing accusingly at the girl who simply smirked as did the black-haired boy at her side. Gently Loki took her hand in his as he sat down again and their identical eyes met, their gazes shiny like the ones of lovers.   
“Yes, that is exactly what I want. It is her present to me!” Loki declared full of joy, obviously proud that he was the one the girl favored most, and squeezed her hand lightly. Thor was utterly confused because his young mind couldn't process the meaning of those words entirely nor the consequences they had for the reality outside of this dream. However, he had no time to ponder because in the next moment, Loki leaned over to the girl and kissed her intimately, their lips melting passionately with each other. As a result of this kiss which literally sealed the fate of the worlds, beginning from the margin, the water in the pond changed drastically from crystal clear to a deep shade of crimson. In horror, Thor looked up at the statue in the fountain as the discoloration spread and his eyes widened when the thick red liquid gushed from the nine marble realms like they were bleeding, the pool of blood beneath glistening in the darkness.

***

Drenched in cold sweat, the blonde god woke in the early hours of the day, his heart racing and his head spinning from the vivid dream he had just experienced. Exhausted and still horrified, he brushed with his hand over his forehead and massaged his templed gently. Again such an upsetting dream... I wonder what causes them..he thought to himself and looked over at the clock on the nightstand, it's display of time causing Thor to frown as it wasn't even close to breakfast. Although he was very tired, the god refused to lie down again as he feared for another haunting dream, and rose abruptly. Lost in thoughts he wandered through his chambers and into the bathroom where he decided to have a bath to calm his alerted nerves. The warmth of the scented water crept along his stiff limbs and soon his whole body relaxed and Thor leaned back in the large tub, resting his head on the margin. Silently he enjoyed the peacefulness of the moment until another thought crossed his mind: yesterday at dinner, he had promised the raven-haired lady to show her around the city of Asgard the following day – an idea which seemed splendid to Thor in the first place, but right now he regretted his suggestion. How could he face her today after such a horrible dream?


	20. The Fire Ignites

Impatiently the prince of Asgard waited down at the stables, his white steed stomping with its hooves on the pavement as if it was mirroring its master's mood. Due to his nightmare, Thor's sleep had been far from restful and thus he couldn't help but yawn every few minutes while his temper worsened with every second that passed. The hot sun burning down on the court didn't lift his spirits and Thor was really glad to have chosen his light leather armor instead of the metal one. Additionally, the red cape would be too brash for such an occasion as the attention could spoil their little trip. Secretly, the god planned to impress the girl with the beauty of the city and maybe they would share a sweet private moment in the end. However, his mood could ruin everything he had in mind...  
When the black-haired girl finally arrived, however, the god almost fell from his noble horse at the sight. As if blunt provocation was her intent, the raven-haired woman wore a dark-green and black riding garment, combined with black leather boots – only one person owned such a set of clothes which Thor knew far too well from his youth. To underline her resemblance with the fallen prince, her hair was trimmed and pulled back in a high ponytail which left her porcelain face bare to behold, those emerald eyes standing out. Thor gulped as he was both pleased and shocked by her today's appearance yet he couldn't tear his eyes away from her, from this beauty walking towards him.   
"Good morning!" she said with a sweet smile, causing the god to wonder why he had earned it but his thoughts drifted off when he watched her mount the steed readied for her. As lovely as her butt was in a dress, these tight trousers did present it in an even better light, leaving little room for imagination regarding the shape. Quickly Thor averted his gaze when she sat straight in the saddle, the black horse underneath her calm and relaxed.   
  
"Follow me and stay close!" the god commanded in a slightly too harsh tone, causing the girl's smile to vanish instantly and her to believe that she was the reason for his bad mood. Admittedly, she was the cause for his pondering, maybe also for his temper to a certain degree, however, these recent nightmares were responsible to a great share for his mental torment because their meaning remained well hidden from him.

 

Silently they rode side by side down the main street which led from the palace straight into the centre of the city, large luxurious houses flanking them. While the girl's gaze was glued to all these new impressions, this foreign culture which wasn't unfamiliar to her due to her origin, the god watched her clandestinely from the side. A spark of delight flashed up inside him whenever _______'s face lit up with excitement and amazement during their ride – a feeling his heart had long relinquished and which he yearned to intensify. Every passing citizen greeted the prince respectfully, bowing and curtsying politely also towards the girl. Nevertheless, Thor noted how their gazes remained on the raven-haired woman, turning hateful or indignant, and some whispered bustlingly while staring. Disappointed by his own people, Thor looked over to ______ who seemed to pay the peasants no mind but upon closer observation, her slightly narrowed eyes revealed the true hurt she felt.   
"Let us leave the centre for now. I know a place much more peaceful." Thor suggested and a small smile reappeared upon her lovely face.  
“That would be great!” she replied and both turned their horses to the right down a narrow street which led in a bow almost back to the palace – well almost, because at its end lay a marvelous pond, which was part of the royal palace but open to the public from this side. High trees and reed cordoned the margin of the lake beside the cobbled path and the water's surface glistened in the rays of bright afternoon-sunlight, presenting not only the lake but the whole city in all its glory.  


“This is truly marvelous!” ______ gasped and didn't hesitate to dismount, her boots clattering on the pavement beneath as she walked across it. Seconds later, she reached down with her right hand into the water, her fingers playing with the cool liquid and manipulating it with her magic. Although she had promised the king not to use her magic openly, she simply couldn't resist and besides, there was no one here to witness – except Thor, of course, who stood now right behind her as she noted.   
“How fare your magic skills? Have they grown due to your lessons?” The god asked and knelt down beside her, the leather stretching around his muscular thighs and broad chest which didn't elude the woman's sharp eyes.  
“Well at least I don't faint like last time!” she replied with a smile and continued to form small sculptures out of water. “But yes, I think I'm getting better at this. Look!” Proudly she brought her hand closer to the blonde, who admired the magic at work with amazement. Inside her palm, the pearls of water danced in a circular arrangement until it changed according to her will until she finally smashed them all together, forcing them to melt again. Then she focused intently, the water inside her palm flaring up like the ocean during a storm until there was a small tempest raging there, the drops of water never leaving her hand however.  


“By the Nine...” Thor whispered in surprise as he watched the tiny storm, oblivious to the pair of emerald orbs glued to him. _______ used this opportunity to observe the god thoroughly, her gaze traveling from his eyes along his nose, past his full lips and the golden stubbles of his beard, down the thick vein of his neck to the spot where the leather began to cover him. The garment suited him well and emphasized his gorgeous body in the right ways without being too showing. However, the raven-haired girl didn't mind the lack of sleeves, wondering how it might feel to be held by these strong arms upon which her gaze lingered for a little while.  
“You have indeed great powers, just imagine that you could induce such a natural force on a real lake!” Thor said joyfully, his mood already brightened and he leaned over even closer to the girl.   
“Y..you think I will be able to do such a thing one day?” she asked doubtfully but the god nodded reassuringly at her, his lips curling up into a wide smile.  
“I am sure of it, my lady! Only few possess the gift of magic and if you continue to practice you will most likely surpass many great wizards!”   
Barely did she manage not to blush, hoping that he didn't notice her staring, and again she enjoyed the proximity of their bodies while her mind recalled how they had hidden behind the column yesterday. _I can even remember his smell..._  
“Oh stop spoiling me with compliments!” she laughed as she magically sent the liquid flying back into the lake, her eyes following the pearls until they all vanished while the god's remained fixated on her alone. This time she couldn't prevent her cheeks from reddening.  
“Forgive me, my lady, as discomfiting you was not my intention!” Thor's voice was lower now, carrying both gentleness and kindness in a fashion which sent a chill down the girl's spine.  
“You don't make me feel uneasy at all...” she replied and met his piercing gaze, the emerald of her own eyes reflected in his blue ones, and not only her heartbeat increased. Also the god felt how the familiar sensation of excitement rushed through his body, those 'butterflies' the Midgardians spoke of.  
“How do I make you feel then?” he asked, noting how the red on her cheeks darkened to a lovely shade, and thanks to the ponytail he was able to behold each and every twitch of her features. Unsure of how to respond, ______ pondered exertedly and as her silence continued, Thor made up his mind to take things into his own hand. Right now was the perfect moment to take the first step towards the fulfillment of his desires, towards the salvation of his broken grief-stricken heart. Thus he shifted slightly, still kneeling, and moved his left hand around her back while he slowly leaned down.  


“Your highness!” a distant call rang in the air, mercilessly cutting through their trance-like state and ending whatever this short yet intense moment between Thor and the girl was. With a slight frown, the prince rose and turned to face the soldier who had dared to interrupt, his mood already in a downfall again when he heard the man out.  
“Forgive me, my prince, but the All-Father demands your presence at once!” the soldier said with a very worried expression plastered across his face.  
“And what important matter is the reason for this urgency?” Thor demanded harshly while the girl behind him rose too, sensing that something bad had happened in their absence. Of course she couldn't read the soldier's mind nor could she snatch a glimpse into the future, yet the voice which had warned her in the pond the other day rang in her ears again.  


_~Fire....~_ it sang repeatedly and quietly as the wisp of wind.

  
“Tell me at once!” The god grumbled in a commanding tone and stepped closer to the shorter man, intimidating him with his size.   
“The Fire Giants, my prince. They are attacking villages at our border!” the soldier stumbled and Thor couldn't believe his ears, had this race been peaceful for the past centuries. _Why would they attack all of a sudden?  
_ The god wondered for a second but then decided to head directly to the palace, not wanting to let the king wait.   
“We shall leave at once!” Without turning, Thor walked over to his horse – a mere glance past his shoulder was more than enough of a command for the girl behind him to follow his example. And the very instant she had climbed into the saddle, the god spurned his steed by a kick in its flanks, the hooves banging on the pavement as they hurried through the streets of the city. With a sad expression, _____ looked back at the lake before it vanished behind a corner, and her stomach tightened when she turned again to behold the dark clouds above the golden palace.

 


	21. The Battle

Back in the palace, Thor and _______ marched straight into the council chamber where the king and his advisors planned the next steps to fight against the Fire Giants who were attacking Asgard at the moment.  
“How many are they?” Thor asked when he stood beside his father, both gods stern and tensed due to this unexpected assault, while the raven-haired woman remained a little in the background as she wasn't sure if her presence was accepted at all.  
“Not enough to cause serious problems to our army.” Odin replied in a pensive tone, his one eye scanning the land-map on the round ancient table before him. “Which leads to the assumption that they have some sort of weapon which inspires them to dare to attack. Otherwise there is no plausible explanation for this folly!” the king added while some of the advisors nodded approvingly, also the blonde prince agreed to this thesis. The Fire Giants have been sworn enemies to Asgard since the creation of the Nine Realms themselves and in the beginning they had brought death and destruction upon many of those worlds. However, since Borr and his father led their troupes into a fierce war against them, the population of Muspelheim had diminished drastically and there hadn't been another attack ever since. So why would they dare to move against Asgard in such a bold fashion, knowing that their forces are far behind their enemy's?   
“You suggest that their urge for revenge has driven them in the hands of another enemy of Asgard?” Thor put in, talking directly to his father who seemed surprised at his son's keenness, remembering how eager the first prince had always been to go to battle – regardless the reason behind it.  
“That is a point we ought to consider, my son. However there is no report of another army at our borders.” Odin replied when suddenly the double door to the chamber swung open and a messenger stormed in, breathing hard from the hurry he was in.   
“My king, the gatekeeper Heimdall sent me to report to you what he witnessed!” the man said as he bowed before the royalty, pearls of sweat visible beneath his golden armor.  
“Speak then!”  
“The Vanir counts about three hundred giants and one other man, my king.”  
“What other man?!” The All-Father and Thor asked in unison, their demanding voices sending a chill down the messenger's spine as _____ noted. _Poor guy..._ she thought to herself, pitying the man and remembering how frightening Thor could be.  
“A..a Midgardian form the appearance yet he wields a weapon of our realm.” the man explained, his eyes cast down upon the cold marble floor beneath his feet, then he added carefully. “It is prince Loki's scepter, my king.” Both Thor and Odin became blank at those words, had they believed the item secured in the Tower of Stark back on Midgard. Strangely that ______ spied the tiniest of smirks upon the old king's face and she knew instantly that he probably longed for that weapon – well, it was his after all.

“How do you wish to proceed, your majesty?” one of the advisors standing around the table asked and the king turned around to face him after he dismissed the messenger with a wave of his hand.   
"We shall crush this foolish rebellion with our army as did my grandfather before me, but this time we ought to smash their ambition to ever try to attack us again!" Odin declared, the vein popping up on his forehead indicating his up-flaring rage. "Thor, take enough men of our army and lead them to victory! _____ shall stand by your side too." The old king added and both the prince and the girl stared at him in disbelief.   
"With due respect father, but I think ______ is not ready for being on a battlefield! Her powers-"  
"You are in no position to judge that issue. Her powers are developed enough to be tested in a fight!" Odin interrupted the prince with this command, then he turned to the raven-haired girl and said in a much gentler tone:  
"Remember what I taught you in our lessons and believe in yourself as do I." Despite the kind words, _______ had a bad feeling about actually using her powers to fight these intruders, not only because she wasn't obligated to but also because she wasn't convinced of her usefulness on a battlefield. Sensing her doubts, the old king smiled warmly, like a father she never had and put his wrinkled hands on both her shoulders to reassure her. And through the thin layer of the spell shone the real man behind the disguise, Loki, whose smile was warm and truthful this time. A rare thing to behold.   
"Don't fret, my dear, as Thor will be there to protect you." Well, this did comfort ________ and she managed to show a small smile in return while the prince in the background gulped silently. Thor had clearly heard the message for him in the king's words: protect the spirit no matter the cost and Norns help him if she has but one scratch...

 

 

The huge thick clouds of smoke were visible from miles away yet their real magnitude was even more intimidating when the Asgardians were close to the battlefield. As befit the leader of the army, Thor rode on his steed in front of his men with the raven-haired woman at his side. Obviously she was nervous since every fiber of her body seemed tensed and ready to fight as Thor noted, recalling this behavior from when he had threatened her with his hammer – a deed he was not proud of, yet the shivering girl at his feet had been such an arousing sight. Although Thor didn't intend to frighten her anymore, she ought to shiver because of anticipation of what pleasant intimacies he would do with her. And this dream wasn't so unrealistic as it had been days ago, since the prince and the girl had been quite close at the lake before - Thor had felt the heat of both of them radiating like the sun. Nevertheless he shouldn't rush the matter, especially since his consciousness still whispered to him, trying to convince him how wrong his desires were. Unfortunately, neither men nor gods are capable of choosing who receives their affections and thus the prince payed his inner voice only little mind. Yes, she looked like Loki. And yes, she was a magical being, a powerful one on top of it, but that didn't mean that she was evil like his fallen brother had been. In fact, as a spirit of nature her whole being was created out of light-magic so she was pure in every aspect, like an untouched white snowfield. Oh how he yearned to be the one to mark her.

 _Stop! By the Nine, focus!_ Thor thought to himself and when he had regained a proper mental state for the task at hand, he commanded the army behind him to stop by raising his right arm. The Asgardians were waiting a top a small hill at one side of a vast valley, the villages in it all burned to the ground and the inhabitants killed by the Fire Giants. The prince surveyed the area beneath him thoroughly, his eyes narrowing when he spied the tree-like creatures roaming the valley, their ablaze skin causing everything to combust upon contact.  
“Surround them from three sides and strike as one at my command!” Thor ordered his generals who dashed away with parts of the army, dividing it into three groups of each three hundred soldiers. _Clever..._ the raven-haired girl thought to herself when she realized that the Fire Giants had a large lake at the rear, meaning that they had no option to retreat in that direction. _That's why Thor wants to attack from three sides only..._  


“Are you alright, my lady?” The prince's deep voice interrupted her pondering and _____ looked over to him with a stern face. The light silver armor she wore was a good protection against lethal blows, not the fire however so she needed to stay away from it. Also her instincts combined with her skills, which wouldn't let her down in a crucial situation, would prevent her from greater harm. Well, and then there was the god assigned to keep her save too, thus there was little to worry about, wasn't it? Yet this persistent twist in her stomach wouldn't dissolve.  
“I guess so. … How about our chances to win?” she asked, causing the god's gaze to roam over the valley before he replied self-consciously.  
“Our army is thrice the size of the enemy, thus it shouldn't take too long to beat them.”  
“But what about this 'other man' with the scepter?” _____ put in and Thor proudly held his hammer further up for her to behold, the polished head glistening in the light of the setting sun.  
“That is why the both of us are waiting here.” the god replied and in that very moment, the battle began as the Asgardian forces clashed upon the intruders with all might. Even if the Fire Giants were a tough race and hard to kill, they stood little chance against this superiority of golden soldiers, who knew to exploit every weak spot the Giants had. Thus it didn't take long before the first hundred fire-creatures fell, the flame of their lives extinguished and their bodies quenching as they lay on the scorched ground. 

 

Thor watched his men confidently but a blaze of blue light coming from the centre of the enemy's troupes caught his gaze, his mind already on alarm as this light seemed horribly familiar.   
“Follow me!” the god commanded and rode down the hill, the girl at his feet, until they both stood upon the battle ground, surrounded by soldiers fighting with giants and burning houses or what remained of them. Thick dark smoke hung in the air, hampering one's vision like fog in autumn, so that the prince and the girl had to dismount and continue a foot. Everywhere _____ looked, soldiers were busy bringing down the fire-creatures, piercing their flesh with sharp and poisoned lances or by shooting at them with energy balls until the beast's head was low enough to chop it off. _____ averted her gaze from this execution, the terrifying cry of the dying creature ringing in her ears, and quickened her pace to be at the god's heels. She mustn't loose him in this chaos.  
“Stay close and watch out. They could come at us from all sides now!” Thor whispered to ______, who nodded in reply and tried to keep up with the god's large strides. This time the king hadn't put a concealing spell upon her body so that the golden tail wriggled behind her while the orange of the flames was reflected in the scales which weren't covered by the armor – visible for everyone. In the havoc of the battle it didn't matter though.  


 

Slowly and carefully, Thor and _____ advanced through the burning area until suddenly the billows of smoke were divided by a blueish light and forth came a tall, well-built man with short blonde hair. Despite the battle and the heat surrounding them, the man had not one scratch nor was there a single drop of sweat on his skin, which seemed to lack the usual healthy color of a mortal. Instead it was tinted in a light blue, especially down his right arm in which he held the golden weapon of the fallen prince of Asgard, the gem sparkling dangerously at it's tip. Thor and the girl stared at the man in disbelief but their eyes widened when he approached further, an evil smirk plastered across the face they knew too well, upon the lips the girl used to kiss once. _No, this can't be!_ _____ thought but the longer she beheld her friend in front of her, the more he turned into a complete stranger possessed by the weapon he believed to control.  
“Steve...?” she gasped and was about to walk towards him but Thor blocked her way with his left arm, an order she didn't dare to disobey. From the way the Midgardian had changed since their last encounter, the god knew that Steve was not himself anymore and that the weapon in his hand had gained control over him. _Hopefully it is not too late to bring him back..._  
“Well, hello there!” Steve chuckled darkly and held his hands up to greet them. “How nice of you to join the battle! Otherwise I would have had to shoot you down from that hill!”   
“Steve, what happened to you? Why are you doing this?!” ______ asked worriedly as the sight of her friend like this hurt her more than one would guess. The Captain she remembered was kind and gentle, only fighting if there was really no other way but this creature before her seemed to revel in the destruction and death he was encouraging, like a leech feasting on catastrophe.  
“Haha, my eyes have been opened to see the whole truth of things and I realized that in order to fulfill my wishes, the glorious city of Asgard must be brought to the ashes! This realm of false gods must be extinguished so that you, my dear, can come home with me!” Steve replied and emphasized his point by clenching his upheld fist, the corners of his lips twisted upwards maniacally. The raven-haired girl shuddered while the god at her side narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on Mjölnir.  
“That is not you, Steve! Please refrain from this madness!” the girl tried to reach him through her pleading, to wake the real Steve inside his clouded head but Thor didn't believe that this could be accomplished by reasoning alone.  
“If that is what you have in mind, you are an enemy of Asgard and as prince of this realm it is my duty to strike you down!” Thor declared in a very low voice, almost like the rumble of thunder, and he already positioned himself for the upcoming fight.  
“Don't act the hero in front of the object of your desires! We all know how sly you false gods are!” Steve hissed darkly, pointing at the blonde with his free hand accusingly before he brought it back to stroke the scepter affectionately. “Like the former owner of this splendid weapon: his insidious ambitions have brought him down in the end... well, weaklings like him deserve no other fait!” These words bit like snakes and Steve knew their impact on the prince, who couldn't hold back anymore, his rage boiling wildly just like Steve had intended.  
“Shut your foul mouth this instant or I shall sew it shut for you!!” Thor ushered his threat while he dashed forward, the hammer brought up to strike at the other man whose smirk drove the god mad with fury. They were friends, yes, but that didn't amend for the disrespectful way he spoke about Loki so Thor had to teach the mortal some manners. One mighty blow with the hammer after another hailed down on Steve who dodged and countered the hits with blue energy balls. They fought vigorously, none showing mercy, while the girl watched in horror from the side. I _can't let this continue... friends shouldn't fight like that. I need to end this!_  


Thus she walked towards them, determination written clearly across her face, as she summoned the nature surrounding them for help. Although the earth beneath her feet was scorched, there were still many strong roots left in the neither layers and exactly those were about to emerge from their earthy beds. So during this exchange of blows, _____ tried to catch Steve with the long roots in order to immobilize him and force him to surrender, however the man was too quick and once she almost wrapped Thor up unintentionally. 

 

Minutes passed and the prince had already some minor wounds here and there of which the small cut on his cheek stung the most, his breath accelerated by the exertion and the first signs of exhaustion appeared slowly so he got out of Steve's reach to have a short break. The heat surrounding them was mercilessly, adding up to the effort of fighting and Thor was completely wet beneath his armor from all the sweating. However, Steve had no such problem as his body was unaffected by the high temperature due to a protection spell which also allowed him to fight without an armor. Nevertheless, Mjölnir had left it's traces upon the other man's body, some fractures and broken bones among them, and he too needed a break. While Thor planned his new strategy of attack, the raven-haired girl rushed over at his side to check on his wellbeing.  
“Are you alright?!” she asked and the obvious worry she held for the god eased the pain of his wounds considerably. The evil force within him urged Steve to exploit this sweet moment of weakness and so he fired another large energy ball at the god, aiming straight at his chest. Out of the corner of his eye, the blonde noted the attack just in time and automatically grabbed the girl next to him, pulling her close to his broad chest and turning to shield her. This action startled the girl so much that she instinctively bit the thick arm slung around her, her sharp teeth digging deep into the flesh on the inside where it was only covered by leather. Thor cried out but at the same time the energy ball hit him square across his back, eliminating the red cape as well as the first layer of the silver armor. A grunt escaped the wounded god as he crouched there with the girl in his arms, the pain from the two new wounds rushing through his body, yet he wouldn't loosen his grip on her. _I need to protect her!_ He thought while ______ realized that it was the god who held her, that he had actually saved her from certain death at the cost of another bad wound, and that she had added another to this one as well. Quickly she retrieved her fangs and tried to turn around to face her hero but the strong arms around her wouldn't allow it. 

 

Holding her like this, her scent found it's way to his nose despite all the smoke and Thor dared to take another second to look down upon her. She was so sweet and innocent, even here in the midst of destruction and death, and Thor wished nothing more than to return to the palace with her, to keep her far away from such horrors. Yet there was one thing standing in his way, just like back on Midgard, an obstacle which the god hesitated to overcome. Steve was his friend, they had been welded together during their countless missions. How could he fight a friend? _But this isn't truly Steve! The force within the gem of the scepter is pos_ _s_ _essing him..._ Thor reminded himself, his mind torn apart by his inner conflict until the second of the green snakes inside his head began to operate, infusing the god with magic. Suddenly all he felt was rage and hatred towards the other man, this sworn enemy of his beloved home who would take away everything Thor held dear if not stopped. No, he couldn't let Steve take ______! No one ever would.   
“T..Thor?” the girl stumbled when the god didn't reply and straightened abruptly, releasing her form his absolute hold, his whole body tensed. The god's golden hair was dirty as was the rest of his clothes, but through some loose strands his piercing blue eyes stared towards the Captain, dark and full of fury. Noting that he had made a drastic decision as well as the change in his mind, which reminded her strongly of the man who had threatened her not too long ago, _______ flinched a little and stepped away from the god.   
“This shall end now.” Thor declared in a dark voice and suddenly drops of rain fell from the thick clouds above them, lightly at first but then more heavily, and the cries of the Fire Giants were audible as the cool water hurt their skin.  
“You believe you can stop me? Hah, you fool! The Mighty Thor is not the type of man who would hurt a friend! You don't have it in you!” Steve spat, pointing the scepter at the approaching god. While running, Thor rose his hammer to the sky, tiny bolts of lightning surrounding the head instantly and at his command, he released them upon the enemy in front of him. Steve tried to shield himself from the lightning by emitting an energy ball of his own but the power of the fallen star within Mjölnir was too great and with an ugly crack the hilt of the scepter broke in two. Stunned by what just had happened, Steve beheld his ruined weapon until he noted how close the god had come in the shadow of the bolt, the hammer risen above his head ready to fall down.  


 

“Thor, noooooo!” the raven-haired girl shouted but her cry drowned in the sounds of the rain and thunder which had appeared recently, the whole scene underlining how dramatic this scene was. Without hesitation, Thor brought the hammer down, every muscle of his body helping to increase the force behind it. A spark of green flashed up in the god's ocean-blue eyes when the metal head collided unrelentingly with Steve's head.

_______ is mine_ _alone_ _!_


	22. Spoils of War

The horrible sound of bones breaking beneath the metal cut the air like a knife and the black-haired girl shuddered when it reached her ears, her tail wrapping itself around her left leg at the shock. The Captain lay face down on the ground and despite the gruesome hit he had just absorbed, the mortal shifted and slowly got onto his knees. Thor warily watched every movement of his opponent, the hammer ready to strike again if he must.  
“Hah, that was a nasty one!” Steve chuckled darkly in a raspy voice as his right hand reached at the side of his head and in amusement he beheld his wet, dark red fingers when he had retrieved them again. “Outch!”   
“Surrender now and no further harm shall come upon you!” Thor offered, hoping that the man would finally see reason, yet from the way the mortal smirked at his sticky hand, Thor knew he couldn't reach him with words.  
“As if I would abolish my mission so easily!” Steve replied harshly as he changed into a more comfortable kneeling position, blood dripping down the right side of his head and drenching the dark blue Midgardian shirt he was wearing, which was covered in mud like his jeans.   
“You are so pathetic! You Asgardians always act noble and righteous, claiming to be the superior race of the universe, but inside you are more rotten than any other people!” The amusement from before had turned into pure rage, causing thick veins to appear on the Captains forehead and his eyes to sparkle dangerously as he looked straight up at the god in front of him. 

“Watch your tongue, mortal!” Thor warned him as he himself felt how the fury inside him was taking over control and if that happened he wouldn't show a glimpse of mercy towards his so called friend. As if Steve sensed how close the god was to give in to this urge, he provoked him further with more harsh words.  
“I won't follow orders of a beast such as you are! And besides, it was you who accused me of wanting the girl... what was the correct phrase?.... ah, of wanting 'that scum to suck my cock'!” Steve spat. “But be honest, Thor, you want such a treatment too!” While talking, Steve reached towards the broken half of the scepter, the one with the gem and the blade, but when he grabbed it, a large boot was already pinning it down along with his hand. Thereafter his right cheek met with the back of the Aesir's hand, the sting of the impact being a nice addition to the throbbing of his head.  
“So it is true...” the mortal laughed, his usually pearl-white teeth coated in blood, and looked up again with a maniacal smile. “The noble prince of Asgard, the God of Thunder is lusting after a sweet girl like a low beast, desperate to satisfy it's carnal needs! Doesn't sound so divine, does it?!" From the dark spark in the god's eyes, one knew that his patience had reached its end at those words. Enough was enough. And without wasting another second, _____ rushed forward and grabbed the arm which already rose the heavy mighty hammer.  
"Thor please don't! He's our friend!" she pleaded while she pulled at his strong arm in vain as it only caused the blonde to look coldly down upon her, the storm in his ocean-like orbs reflecting his inner fury. She shuddered.  
"This is not Steve, merely a puppet since the scepter has gained control over him entirely. He won't stop on his own, even at the cost of his life." Thor explained sternly, almost emotionless and the girl at his side was about to protest when a soldier approached them.

"My prince! The giants have enclosed us with a ring of fire, which the rain cannot extinguish, and now they are tightening the noose!" the man shouted in the rain while running across the muddy ground, sweat and blood smeared across his face. _Damned, Steve kept us distracted while the giants set up the trap!_ Thor thought enraged yet the solution was at hand and served him well in this vexing situation with Steve.  
"_____! Go and stop the giants with your magic! Summon the water of the lake nearby like you did earlier today!" he ordered her in a mild and reassuring tone, showing her his faith in her powers. "Go and save us while I take care of him!" The black-haired girl understood the necessity of this command, that she was the only one capable of this task yet she hesitated, searching something in the god's eyes. The raindrops gliding down her pleading face.  
"Promise me you won't kill him!" she finally said, her hands squeezing the muscles beneath them and only after the tall blonde nodded she released her grip on him. "You have my word."   


And with that she let go of his arm completely and hurried over to the soldier who led her away. After the two figures vanished in the clouds of smoke, Thor exhaled long before he turned back to the man kneeling in front of him.    
"That was sweet. Now what? How do you intend to proceed?" Steve asked with the smirk which annoyed the god so much as it reminded him of Loki back when the scepter had twisted his mind. Suddenly Thor felt a warmth permeating his left boot, coming from beneath it. "Never mind, I already made the decision!" Steve said as he summoned the hidden power of the scepter he was still holding on to, the tip shining brighter than before as it opened slowly. In horror Thor looked down and saw the infinity gem peeking through the now translucent layers of the blue gem it was embedded in, realizing that death was close – not only for him but also for the rest of the army. _And _____...._ No, he couldn't let that happen at any cost. _I have sworn to protect her even if this means to break my word!_   


The air crackled despite the heavy rain as tiny sparks of lightning surrounded Mjölnir's head, the hammer which was held up high towards the sky. One lat time Thor looked sternly down at the mortal who was about to unleash the destructive power of the infinity gem upon Asgard and the sight confirmed his decision. _This ends now._ Silence surrounded them and the air became dry, pushing the rain away. Then the bolt of lightning rushed down, filling the hammer with all its energy which was unleashed immediately upon the kneeling man.  The world was white for a few seconds as the bolt erupted itself and only when he felt the energy flowing through his body diminish, Thor brought the hammer down again, the metal still red-hot. Breathing heavily the god beheld his opponent lying motionlessly on the ground, the spark of the scepter's gem dissolved. With a sigh of relief, Thor knelt down in the mud to rest while the sky wept for witnessing this tragedy, pouring big drops of rain upon the wounded and exhausted god. 

***

In the centre of the fire-ring, I stood amongst the golden soldiers and focused as hard as I could, calling upon nature for help while the brave Asgardians fought off the advancing giants. Trying to block out my surroundings I visualized the water in the lake not too far from here while this invisible pressure of the situation threatened to crush me. _If I fail, we will all burn...._ I thought in despair but then I remembered something important. _Thor believes in me, I can't let him down!_ My mind revived how he had admired my powers back in the city of Asgard, how his gaze had sent chills down my spine as those beautiful orbs seemed to stare straight at the core of my soul. Here right now, I felt a similar sensation rush through me, this bizarre tickling which evoked pure joy within me, only this time it was due to my magic which radiated from me now. Slowly I rose my arms as I summoned the water of the lake and soon after, several fountains emerged from the ground just where our line of defense ended, cool water gushing ten meters high into the air. Thereafter, I skillfully guided the watery masses towards their aim – the giants – literally caging them in balls of water. Within less than a minute, their ablaze skin was extinguished and their entire bodies soaked with the liquid so that they could barely move. Then the slaughtering began since the soldiers didn't hesitate to chop every giant's head off as soon as they were within reach. 

_~Don't trust the A_ _e_ _sir, they ar_ _e_ _monsters, they are murderer!~_ it rang in my ears while I watched. The sight was repulsive yet the giants wouldn't stop and they couldn't be held captive either because of their ever-burning skin – the palace around their cells would be aflame within the hour. Thus I continued to aid in this shameful deed, sealing another giants fait as I enclosed him with water.

The darkness of the night had already spread across the sky when the last Fire Giant fell to an Asgardian sword and the battle was finally over. Even the rain had stopped. Exhaustion held me in its tight grip when I had returned the water back into the lake and sighing I beheld the vast field of corpses. There had been losses also amongst our ranks but these were nothing compared to the near distinction of the entire race of Fire Giants. Suddenly the soldiers around me cheered lively and when I turned towards the source I spied the Thunderer approaching, carrying something – or rather someone as I could see when he came closer. In awe I covered my mouth as I recognized the blonde short hair covered in blood and mud, and watched how Thor put Steve down on the ground before me. He didn't move yet I could make out the faint sound of his lungs still pumping air through his unconscious body. _Thor kept his promise..._ I sighed in relief when suddenly the god drew all my worries towards him as he faltered, his gaze dull.

"Thor! We need to get you to a healer!" I rushed over to stabilize the huge man, the small fraction of his weight resting on me already threatening to drag me down.   
"Yes we shall leave at once..." Thor groaned quietly, exhaustion and pain written plainly across his face, breathing heavily. Covered in wounds, some minor but one very dangerous one on his back, I wondered how he had managed to stay upright until now and I could only imagine the pain even the tiniest movement inflicted upon him. With each of his labored breaths, more weight rested on me, the god's face merely inches away from mine so that I could see the color gradient in his dark-blue orbs. Thor managed a cunning smile before even more of his muscles went limb.   
"We need to hurry!!" I called as the smell of blood veneering the god's usual scent, the beat of the fierce heart in his broad chest beginning to slow down. Luckily the generals came to aid when my knees were about to give in under their load, and in the small chaos of tending to the prince I barely noticed the two pieces of the scepter hanging from Thor's belt beside Mjölnir.

 


	23. Thor's decision

Another morning dawned, the sun too weak to peek through the thick layer of grey covering the sky above the city of Asgard. Lazily I sat up in bed and beheld the various shades of grey plastered outside the window like smeared wet paint on an old canvas, birds occasionally flying by being the only highlight of the scene. While my eyes remained fixated on the boring monotony, my abigail Birgit entered the bedroom of the suit, fresh towels in hand and a smile on her round face.

"Good morning, my lady! I hope your sleep has been restful!" she sang in her joyful voice, her sunny character a stark contrast to today's weather.

"Yes.. it was quite ok." I lied when in fact I had been awake for quite a while, worrying about two men – very girlish, I know. Exactly two and a half days have passed since the battle with the Fire Giants and no word of relief regarding the wounded god and his mortal friend had left the healing rooms yet. According to the whispers of some chatty chambermaids, Steve was still unconscious and the prince's wounds were more severe than the healers had assumed at first sight, prolonging the recovery process. Loki had told me about the immortality of the gods, caused by the consumption of the golden apples, and I wondered what immense force was needed to strike the Thunderer down when a full hit of the scepter's energy didn't do it. Admittedly, those were nasty wounds than harmed him but, and that is the point, he would surely survive them. _I really hope he does..._

"My lady?" Birgit's voice rippled me from my thoughts, the images of the battle and the god inside my mind blurring.

"I'm sorry, Birgit, come again?" The older woman's expressions softened as she looked at me, showing compassion and understanding for my chastened mood.

"Don't bother, my lady. I just said that the king has announced a great feast to be happening in two days!"

"A feast?" I repeated incredulously while I cuddled more against the comfy blanket surrounding me. _The Asgardians do like celebrations at any opportunity_.

"Yes, with singers and acrobats from all corners of the realm!" Birgit explained excitedly as she took the clothes destined for me to wear today from the wardrobe and hung them over a chair near to the bed. "And all in honor of you and prince Thor!" Well that was some interesting news and instinctively I wondered what Loki's second thoughts were, the real intention hidden behind this move. He wouldn't spend a coin for Thor's sake, let alone to honor him, so maybe the Trickster aimed at convincing me to stay here and help him. _Serve him, that is._ my mind corrected itself, the word of bitter truth lingering like a dark cloud above me.

"Then I suppose I should attend. Your people doesn't miss an opportunity to celebrate, does it?" I jested with half a smile and watched as Birgit began to clean the room, collecting my yesterday's clothes to throw them into a large basket in the bathroom.

"That is true, my lady. But we have witnessed too many wars and catastrophes in our history not to!” She replied as she vanished inside the adjacent room while I pondered over her words, reminding myself to read about the latest Asgardian history soon to understand more of this world, it's customs, it's culture and of the men and women having ruled it. With that my thoughts jumped on to the next best related topic, which was rather persistent lately: Thor. _How is he? Will he be able to attend the feast at all?_

While these questions spun inside my head, I revived this precise moment during the battle when the golden prince had pressed me against his strong chest to shield me with his large body – exactly what I had wished for when we hid behind the column the other day. A somehow romantic moment in the midst of war and death. And what did I do? I had bitten him immediately, sinking my elongated teeth into the arm which had protected me. Silently I cursed myself for this stupid reflex out of fear and surprise, guilt consuming me the more I thought about it.

"Is something wrong, my lady?" Birgit suddenly asked, her round warm eyes boring into me as she stood beside the bed. My grim expressions must have given it away.

"Oh, no. I was just wondering how Thor is..." I confessed, noting how the abigail's eyes widened even more.

"Haven't you heard? The prince has been granted permission to leave the healing rooms this morning!"

Both my mind and my body paused at that, seconds ticking by. Then the rush of joy hit me like a bolt and with like wise enthusiasm I jumped out of bed, my golden tail wiggling behind me.

"I have to go visit him!!" I exclaimed and pulled the loose white night gown over my head, almost tearing the fabric in my sudden hurry.

"Let me help you, my lady!" Birgit was at my side, a knowing smirk spreading from the corners of her lips as she dutifully helped me get dressed properly.  
  
***  
  
Half an hour later, the raven-haired girl stood before the large double-door to the prince's chambers, her heart beating loudly like a drum in the empty hallway. Not too long ago she had sworn never to enter these rooms and be in there with the god alone yet here she stood – ready to break her own word. Hesitating to proceed, she brushed over the skirt of her caramel-brown dress, tugging here and there to ensure that everything was in place, when suddenly a servant carrying a tablet with food walked up to her.   
“Oh good, the prince's breakfast, isn't it? He's rather moody today so let me take it to him instead!” Quickly realizing this splendid opportunity, _______ snatched the tray away from the man with a polite yet cunning smile. “Thanks!”  
The young servant looked confusedly at the lovely lady whom had just caught him completely off guard, too stunned by her boldness and beauty to notice neither the golden scales on her neck nor the tail protruding slightly from under her dress as she walked through the door.  
Inside the royal bedroom, the god sat up in bed as soon as the door opened and he was surprised to see his valet replaced by this special pretty girl his thoughts were revolving around. _She must have forgotten the spell..._ Thor immediately thought as he noted the scales shimmering with every of her movements as did this coquettish tail behind her. The urge to touch it blossomed within him.  
“Good morning, Thor!” she greeted him joyfully as she walked graciously towards the large bed, balancing the tray carefully in her hands.

“Good morning to you too!” The blanked around the prince glided further down as he sat up more, pooling in his lap now and revealing his entire upper body. Immediately, a pair of emerald eyes darted there, taking in the well-built body but at the sight of all the bandages covering the god's chest and arms, she faltered. Gone was the joy, replaced by pure guilt as she imagined the pain these wounds probably inflicted. Worriedly her gaze roamed over him, surveying the damaged limbs and the dark circles under his usually brilliant eyes. _He looks horrible..._

“Do not worry, my lady, for these are merely a few scratches!” Thor said to appease the girl, looking down at his wrapped up arms and chest, although secretly her obvious concern for his well-being did flatter him a lot. He had to hide the smile tugging at his lips.   
“If you say so...” _____ replied quietly, rolling her eyes slightly while her lovely smile reappeared, causing the god's heartbeat to quicken. “Nevertheless, you should eat this delicious breakfast to regain your full strength!” she added and placed the tray of food on the nightstand on the left side of the bed.   
“You better not doubt my stamina!” Thor jested with a flirty smirk plastered across his face which the girl luckily didn't see for it would have turned the already existing blush on her cheeks into a considerate darker shade of crimson. Strangely for her character, a wave of confidence overcame the girl, making her daring for a change.  
“I can't evaluate this matter, not without demonstration that is.” She replied with an equally alluring smirk, her eyes sparkling in this special shade of emerald green Thor cherished so much. Beautiful wasn't a strong enough word to describe her, nor was any other phrase the god knew.  
“Anyways, it would be such a shame if you weren't in your best shape at the forthcoming feast. Have you already heard about it?” without considering to ask for permission, the raven-haired girl sat down on the side of the bed, her tail resting on the foot of the mattress close to the god's feet, the combination of golden scales glistening on the dark-blue sheets resembling a splendid lapis lazuli.  
“Im afraid I have not. Would you mind to fill me in?” Thor asked and leaned back casually against the wooden head of the bed, trying to seem calm when in fact, his heart was racing because of the little distance between their bodies. Resting on the sheets, her slender hand almost touched his right thigh and she could sense his warmth even trough the silk of the blanket.   
“Well, I suppose it will be pretty large and spectacular, but the most important part is that the whole thing will be in our honor!” ______ explained, gesturing with her left hand as she spoke and Thor found it very difficult to concentrate since he was mesmerized by her eyes, his gaze wandering across her face to take in every detail. 

“You have proven your powers and saved the whole army from certain death by fire. A feast in your name is the least to thank you.” Thor finally replied – some seconds behind, yes – but he did manage to conclude what she had said from the fragments he had registered. These emerald eyes were focused solely on him, intensely but not in a displeasing manner and the god didn't bother to avoid them, instead he chose to meet them with his own.  
“Would you grant me the honor of accompanying you to this event, my lady?” he then asked, still looking at her so that he knew her answer before she even replied. The twitch of the corners of her lips, which Thor noted, gave it all away.  
“How could I decline such an offer by a noble prince like you, Thor? And please, just call me ______.” She tiled her head slightly, causing strands of her black hair to fall into her face and Thor really had to restrain himself from reaching forward and tugging them back behind her pointy ear.  
“Gladly I will ac-” the blonde began and leaned forward, propping up by his arms which wasn't the brightest of ideas considering his wounds, the sharp pang in his left arm reminding him dutifully of that fact. With a grunt, he slumped back and took the weight off his arm while looking at it in annoyance.   
“Oh I'm so so sorry about that!” ______ said, her eyes wide and pleading so that the god almost melted away right there, the pain already forgotten. Before he could reply, however, the girl suddenly bent over and reached for his arm. “Let me fix it...”  
While her slender fingers carefully removed the bandages of the bite-wound, Thor took his time to realize what was happening right now. Nonchalantly, this minx had come closer and was leaning over his lap now, her right leg between his while her face merely inches away from his so that her smell flooded the god's nose. No woman had ever been so daring in the Thunderer's presence, hadn't allured him in such a subtle, almost unintended manner as she did. Only his brother had been able to behave so sassily around him without fearing his punishment or scolding – a trait of Loki Thor had loved. _They are so alike, this resemblance... scaring but at the same time so deeply alluring._  
All the fear she had was gone so that this intimate position felt familiar and she didn't mind the god staring down upon her. In fact, she enjoyed his hungry gaze on her. Thor could feel the sweet tension between them, the heat radiating from both bodies due to this exciting situation. When the wounded flesh was finally laid open, ______ brought her index-finger to her mouth and pricked the skin with her already elongated sharp fangs, a drop of blood welling from the tiny cut. Thor held his breath. _What....?_

Slowly the raven-haired beauty in front of him moved her hand towards his arm as not to spill the drop of red liquid and then she let it fall upon his open wound. One, tow, three drops. Then he felt it.   
Wide eyed, Thor stared at his own arm which was healing at an incredibly speed, like time itself was fleeting by for this part of his body only. A moment later, the flesh was flawless again, no hint of that nasty bite left.  
“How did you.....?” Thor stumbled, looking back and forth between his arm and the girl, who smiled innocently at him.  
“That was quite rash, sorry, but somehow I knew it was going to work!” she replied more shyly than before.  
During the eons of his immortal life, Thor had never witnessed such a healing-power, not even Loki had possessed such skills and he too would have been far from close. _If her blood can heal gods then it can heal almost everything... with only a few drops and in no time... incredible!_ Thor thought to himself, still staring at the spot where the bite-marks had been. She was indeed very powerful and slowly the prince understood why his father had insisted that Thor brought her to Asgard for she could prove an important ally in the future. And besides, no one knew what terrible things the Midgardians, with SHIELD most likely leading the way, would have done to her if the extent of her powers would have become public. Thor shuddered. No, this shall never happen to her. _She shall stay here in Asgard with me, under my protection and care..._

The sudden movement of the girl, who was about to sit back up and leave this proximity, ripped the god of his thoughts and automatically he reached forward, cupping her face with his large hand. ______ didn't flinch away from his touch, instead she leaned more into it as Thor noted, her emerald eyes half-closed in relish, her soft lips parted slightly. In this exact moment, Thor discarded all his objections and doubts, not bothering anymore what his father or anybody else would think of him if he showed his affections for this woman. Thor had loved his brother, maybe in a deeper way than he would have admitted then but today he couldn't negate the fact that her looks appealed to him, that he was strongly attracted by this resemblance of her to Loki. _The Nine be damned, I want her..._ his mind declared, it had never been so sure of a matter before and it was time to put his feelings on display.  
______ didn't resist when the god guided her face while he leaned down. Dark-blue eyes melted with emerald green before they were closed and both their hearts skipped a beat at the merge of their lips.

 


	24. Kiss, kiss, bang, bang!

Time itself came to a halt as the golden girl lay in the god's arms, melting away against his steeled body as their kiss prolonged. With his desires flaring up from deep within him, Thor had drawn the little one closer, carefully as not to crush the fragile figure of hers but determined enough to cause a shudder to run down her spine. She could feel how he restrained his divine power, this other-worldly strength resting in the muscled arms and chest, which would easily overwhelm her. ______ moaned against his lips at the thought. An alluring sound, sweeter than the taste of her lips, which fanned Thor's desires so that he pushed his luck by breaking through her slightly parted lips with his tongue. Again she didn't resist and instead welcomed him with a quick ribbing of her own tongue, her teeth occasionally grazing his wet muscle. Oh gods, Thor wanted that woman so badly right nowt. He longed to rip off that obstructive dress of hers and relish in her naked beauty before he would come at her, with kisses and other caresses. All those dirty imaginations had set his loins on flame, a hard bulge already forming beneath the sheets.   
Likewise, ______'s body showed unequivocal signs of cupidity yet her mind repeatedly told her that it was far too early to proceed from just making out, knowing that this was exactly what was going to happen soon if they didn't stop. Both couldn't refrain much longer from melting into each other.  
Somehow, however, the raven-haired girl managed to recollect and part her lips from the gods, whose dark blue eyes, filled with lust, bored into her as she met them. Panting and terrible agitated, both stared at each other for a moment, Thor's arms keeping her close to him still. 

“I...need to go to my lesson...” ______ then whispered softly yet the god wouldn't allow her to leave him. Instead he pulled her even closer to steal another kiss from her.  
“Thor, I...” she mumbled against his lips which did their best to convince her to stay. With much mental and physical effort, _______ turned her head to the side so that Thor's lips caressed her neck.  
“Odin is waiting!” she protested while the blonde left a trail of hot kisses on her soft skin, down towards her bosom.  
“He is immortal, he has time...” Thor replied smugly as he pulled her cleavage down with one finger, his mouth greedily sucking at the newly exposed skin. ______ moaned again then the god suddenly let go of her, loosening the embrace enough for her to slip out of it. Surprised of the abrupt freedom, the girl looked down at her cleavage to find a large purple spot just beneath the silk of the dress where the Thunderer had marked her.   
“Now you may leave, my dear!” he whispered seductively in this low rumbling voice of his, causing the red on ______'s cheeks to turn a darker shade, and she quickly slid off the bed. Thor heard the door to his chambers being shut again and leaned back against the headboard, a triumphant smirk plastered across his face. Closing his eyes he revived the past moment of bliss they had just shared and which had only fanned his desire for her more. Thor couldn't wait for the feast tomorrow to come.  
  
***  
  
In a hurry the girl almost ran down the hallways and when she reached the door to Odin's study, she halted and checked herself in the glass of the nearest window, pulling at the dress here and there to ensure Thor's little souvenir was covered. The old king sat in his comfortable chair behind the large wooden desk as usual when the raven-haired girl entered, greeted him and walked over to the couch with the books.  
“You are late.” was all the king had to say to her in a stern voice, his one grey eye watching her intently as she made herself comfortable.  
“Forgive me, it won't happen again!” ______ replied while she flipped through an old spell book containing the one needed to conceal her scales and tail. Strangely she avoided the king's eye-contact today as if she was afraid that he might notice something – like this radiating glow surrounding her for instance. _Very suspicious.._. Loki thought to himself and out of his curiosity he decided to enter her mind with his powers in order to get to the bottom of it. Well, without much effort Loki soon realized what the cause of her strange behavior was because very clear pictures were floating around inside her head. She had been intimate with Thor. _Of course.._. Loki scoffed silently, rolling his eyes at his brother's seemingly irresistible charm. “ Thor left his mark on you, my dear.” the king said while he morphed into his true form of a handsome young man. Since ______ thought he referred to the purple spot on her skin, she automatically clasped the cloth of her top and pulled it up.  


“I... well yes we, ahm, we kissed...” she mumbled, her eyes darting around and this confession caused the Trickster to rise and stroll towards her.  
“So you forgot what I have told you of Thor's thunderous temper and selfish ambition?” he asked sarcastically as he approached the couch, his hands folded behind his back as he lectured her. “Have you not feared him to the core of your heart?”  
Then ______ looked up at him, emerald orbs meeting their equal, and rose too when Loki stood right before her.  
“It is imprinted on my heart, never doubt that.” the raven-haired girl replied with such confidence and serenity that Loki was almost impressed by his female image. And in her eyes he could find this special spark, expressing brutal determination and pure willpower, so that he knew she would be of such great use to him one day. With ______'s powers, he would cleanse the Nine Realms and rule over them as their rightful king. A smirk almost escaped the god at the thought but he refrained from showing his true emotions, instead he lowered his gaze and took her left hand in his. The golden scales felt strangely warm upon contact as he stroked the back of her hand with his slender fingers.  
“Forgive me, my lady. My only intent was to warn and remind you that Thor is a dangerous man. I would not want him to hurt you in any way.” Like an actor, Loki put some worry in his velvet voice and resumed eye-contact to emphasize his faked emotions. Oh he was so convincing.  
“And if he does, do not hesitate to come to me for aid!” he added, squeezing her fragile hand with his, and ________ warmly smiled at him, very much like queen Frigga had.  


“I feel honored that you worry for me, my king. But don't worry, Thor won't hurt me again. He has changed!” She replied without doubt so that Loki almost burst out with laughter. _You have no idea how wrong you are..._ the tall god thought to himself and released her from his grasp. It was time to talk about other important matters.  
“Well, let us hope so. Anyway, there are some other issues we ought to discuss...” Loki began as he made his way back behind the large wooden desk, the tips of his black hair teetering with every step.  
“Like the scepter?” _______ guessed rather correctly as she sat down on the couch again, her feet curled up beneath her like a cat.  
“Indeed. I am overly fond to have it back as it is too dangerous in the hands of dilettante Midgardian scientists!” Loki exclaimed, thinking of the accursed man of iron he had met during his time on Midgard.  


“But it broke during the fight.” ______ put in, only to earn a sassy smirk in return as the Trickster turned to face her again.  
“Nothing that my magic cannot reforge. Oh, and speaking of recovery...” Loki sat down in his chair, leaning back and folding his hands in his lap. “... The hero from Midgard who led this folly is on the best way towards full healing. He should wake up in the next few days.” For a split second, the golden girl's eyes widened and a smile tugged at her lips before she hid all signs of sheer joy from the god, not wanting him to know about her feelings for Steve. However, Loki did note the faint change in her facial expression and he would definitely investigate further into the matter. But first things first.  
“That is good to hear. We should interrogate him when he regains consciousness.” ______ suggested in a rather cold tone in order to renounce herself from that man – at least in front of Loki.  
“Yes, that we will certainly do. As for his punishment, I fear that my hands are tied since he is Thor's friend and he will probably forgive him and send him home. Nevertheless, the Captain shall meet the sword if he is to ever set foot on Asgard again.” Loki declared and judging from his steely voice, there was no doubt that he would personally decapitate Steve if he disobeyed this policy. Although it pained _______ to hear that, she had to acknowledge that Loki refrained from severe punishment for Steve's deed – treason was normally rectified by the death sentence after all.   
“Sounds fair...” she whispered while she thought about the blonde tall man lying in the healing quarters when the Trickster changed the topic again.  


“One last thing, my dear. Supposedly you have been informed about the feast tomorrow, which I host in Thor's but mainly your honor. Asgard would have faced greater wounds if not for you!” he said which brought that lovely smile back on her lips as she felt slightly embarrassed by this adulation.  
“Please stop that, Thor did a lot too!” ______ retorted but Loki wouldn't have any of it. He wouldn't stop spoiling her any time soon.  
“The brute oaf defeated one man while you saved the whole army, that is something to be proud of and I wish to reward you for it!” With a small gesture of his right hand, panels of fabric appeared in the air, floating in the middle of the room where they were magically sewn together. As the shape became clearer, ______ realized that this was nothing else than a dress created for her and her eyes widened as she beheld it closer. Silk as white as snow hovered over the ground, the thousands of little white pearls sewn onto it glowing in the torch light of the room. The dress was sleeveless yet the lack of cloth was compensated by a flared skirt which would perfectly hide her tail.   


“It's magnificent...” the girl gasped as she stood up and walked over to touch it, her fingers carefully brushing over the soft fabric. Loki watched every of her moves, every twitch of her eyes and mouth while she admired his gift. He had designed it exclusively for her and couldn't wait to see her wear it, knowing that she would be the highlight of the feast.  
“Thank you so much!”  
“I am glad that it pleases you, but I have one request for you!” She turned towards him, their eyes meeting before he continued. “I want you to show your true form to the whole court. Let them marvel your golden scales so that they realize what pure beauty is, my dear.”  “Are you sure?” In contrast to the god, ______ wasn't convinced of this idea. What if the people mocked her for being different? What if they feared her?  
“Being the spirit of nature, one of the most powerful beings in all the Nine Realms, you should never hide!” Loki replied, already imagining how his female image would steal the show at the feast, how everyone in Asgard would talk about her and her resemblance to him. As a consequence, all worlds would soon realize what special ally Asgard had, an ally everyone had thought extinguished long ago. Yet here she was, his little spirit, and in contrast to Odin's ancestors, Loki would never give her out of his hands again.

 


	25. The feast begins

The night of the feast had arrived much quicker than I had anticipated so that in the end I was in quite a hurry to get ready. My dear abigail Birgit, who was always eager to dress me up like a doll and turn me into a proper lady, helped where she could. After the bathing she rubbed scented oil into my skin and scales so that they glowed more brilliantly in the light, then she did my hair and makeup. Again I was surprised how much one could achieve with this little color in one's face.  
"Almost finished, my lady..." Birgit declared as she laced up the back of the dress Loki had given me while I held still, only my tail moving slightly beneath the white silk.  
"... and done!" the older woman stepped back and admired he work as did I in the full length mirror nearby. The shape of the dress highlighted my fragile figure while displaying a very lovely decollete, a thin golden necklace draped on my bare skin. Birgit choose to pin all my hair up and add some tiny pearls to the black strands – the result was much better than I had imagined, I had to admit. Well, as for the scales... I still wasn't quite fond of showing them so openly but since this condition came with the dress, which I totally wanted to wear tonight, I complied. _Loki wouldn't tolerate any vulgarities towards me so it's gonna be okay._.. I reassured myself and turned myself in front of the mirror.   
"The whole court will be swept off their feet!” Birgit cooed from behind me after she adjusted the hem.  
“It's only one god I seek to impress!” I replied sassily, smirking confidently at my reflection.

***

On hour after nightfall, the entire court had gathered in the great hall of the palace, the noisy chatter drowning the music entirely. The mass of guests, stuffed into the hall heated up the air to the temperature of a mild summer's eve despite the current early autumn. Long dining tables lined up in four rows led to the pedestal in the back where the king and the two heroes would seat. The highborn Aesir occupied their seats according to their status although everyone wished to be as close to the royals as possible. And as they waited for them n anticipation, every second that passed only increased their impatience tenfold. Also the Warriors Three together with lady Sif were already present and as friends of the prince their table was not far from Thor's. When the sound of horns rang loud and clear, drowning the noise of the crowd, all voices died away and everyone turned towards the huge golden doors.  


"All kneel to Odin Borrsson, king of Asgard and protector of the Nine Realms!" the herald proclaimed in a booming voice. Four strong guards were needed to open the heavy doors, revealing the king of Asgard who marched with long strides on the cream marble floor across the hall. With his one eye roaming over his kneeling subjects, Odin ascended the pedestal and positioned himself behind the table before he motioned for the crowd to stand again.   


"Bow for Thor Odinsson, crown-prince of Asgard and the lady _______ from Midgard!" the herald once more shouted, drawing everyone's attention to the doors again by doing so. As soon as Thor and the lady stepped out of the shadows into the bright light, gasps of amazement rushed through the crowd. Without hesitation they all bowed as their prince passed, heads turned down in deference. The raven-haired woman at his side held onto his strong arm, gold on top his silver vambraces, and the white silk swayed gently around her body as she walked, the tail only showing briefly from beneath the layers of cloth. Loki was quite proud of his choice of garment and _______ wore it with such grace and superiority that it made her look like a true goddess in white and gold. As open as they were displayed, everyone did notice the golden scales covering her entire arms and back, up to her neck, leaving only her chest and face bare. This detail of hers would cause rather vividly discussions about her origins for sure. The girl was unique in every aspect, a perfect creation of nature, and Loki marveled at her beauty as the couple approached him. When they reached the pedestal, Thor and _______ halted and looked up at the king who began his speech thereafter. During Odin's praise of their deeds and victory, Thor shot quick glances towards the raven-haired woman beside him, loosing himself in her pretty face. Likewise, ______ found it hard to concentrate, especially since she noted the god's eyes lingering solely and intently on her.  


"...and thus we shall celebrate in their honor! Let us drink to victory, drink to Thor and _______!!" Odin's booming voice ripped both Thor and the girl from their thoughts and they smiled widely when the court began applauding and cheering. While ______ suppressed her reflex to jump with fright at the sudden noise, Thor relishing in his popularity – which only fanned his ego and fortifying him in his plans for tonight – and turned to face his loyal people. The next moment, Thor held both his and the girl's hand up, their fingers entwined in a somewhat romantic fashion that caused a slight blush to creep upon the raven-haired beauty's cheeks.  *** After the delicious meal, the tables were being cleared away by servants in order to create some space for the dancing. The golden girl, who had been sitting beside the king the entire time, now stood on the pedestal and watched the busy servants and glamorous Aesir when someone gently touched her arm.   


"May I have the honor of the first dance?" Thor asked with a handsome smile on his face. Clad in his finest armor, inclusive the red cape, Thor looked every bit the charming prince, the hero, whom the people of Asgard looked up to. _R_ _egal, yes that's the word, and handsome._.. she thought to herself as she beheld the god in front of her. Then ________ smirked in response to his question, not sure if he was jesting.   
"You do know that my skills are a blank page in this regard?" She put in, her right brow risen in doubt and the god chuckled warmly.  
"Then let us fill them together!" he replied as he offered her his hand, his dark-blue orbs boring into hers, and ________ simply had to accept. Beaming with joy, Thor led the beautiful lady towards the middle of the hall, the other guests making way for them as they walked and forming a circle around the couple. Thousands of eyes were looking at the prince and the woman he had chosen tonight, their staring causing the raven-haired girl so tense uncomfortably. Suddenly she wished to be invisible or at least 'normal' in regard of her appearance.  
“Do not waste any thoughts to them. Just look at me, my dear!” The blonde in front of her whispered as he brought their hands up, resting his other one on her hip. _______ nodded, snaking her own arm around the god. 

***  
  
From the back of the hall, Odin had watched his son, how he pretended to be the perfect golden prince, but mainly the king's focus would lie on the black-haired girl. So far, everything had run according to plan – to Loki's plan – and the longer he looked at the obvious lovebirds, the more assuredly Loki became that also the rest of the evening would turn out as he had envisioned. With an almost triumphant smirk, the old king sipped at his golden goblet of wine before his one eye rested once again on _______. Her beauty manifested itself not only in her appearance but also in her pureness, in her genuine heart and, of course, in her innocence. As a spirit of nature, she would never kill without a reason, never would she obtain pleasure from the act itself, which implied that she would never blindly follow his orders. Yet in order to achieve his goals, Loki needed her to kill for him – oh there were so many that must fall – so eventually her fragile innocence had to be crushed. For now, however, Loki enjoyed to watch the lovely girl dancing with the prince, just a little while longer.

 


	26. Rivals

 The golden girl was already tired from all the dancing, yet there were so many high lords that wished to lead her across the floor. _______ politely declined their offers, excusing herself with a smile, while the Thunder god at her side glared at every man who dared ask for a dance. In fact, Thor developed some kind of paranoia, believing that every male present was a potential rival and that they all intended to steal the girl away from him. So he barely left her alone tonight and if he did for a short moment, at least one eye would still watch over her. He wouldn't risk anything as he had such great plans for tonight. Their sweet make-out in his room had induced a feverish need, a hungry desire causing Thor to yearned for more. And he would be satisfied tonight. Even Odin noticed the intent staring of his son when he spoke to ______ about casual topics, how she liked Asgard and so forth, and secretly the king chuckled in amusement. Eventually, Thor's protective nature would cost him so much.

In contrast, the brave warrioress Sif wasn't amused by the latest turn of events and she too watched the couple throughout the night. Sipping at her goblet of wine, Sif's eyes would narrow whenever Thor touched the girl in a way she herself longed to be touched by the prince – kind, gently and so carefully as if he feared she could break if he used to much force. Sif had always loved Thor, first as a dear friend when they were younger but over time she had developed strong feelings for him although she knew he was out of reach. Despite her high rank as troup commander, she was no proper match for the crown-prince. Yet then he had engaged with this mortal woman and Odin seemed to approve of this bond so hope sparked within Sif that she could have a chance after all. A few weeks ago, when Thor told her that he had parted ways with Jane, Sif could have jumped in delight – which she didn't of course, and instead had faked a sad, pitying expression. It seemed as if fate was finally in her favor. But then Thor brought ______ to Asgard, this abomination that looked like the traitorous Trickster in every detail – even her smile reminded Sif of the deceased god. _How can he be attracted to that woman,_ _to that reptile_ _?_ Sif wondered and took another sip.  
“What is the matter, Sif? Why the pouting at such a lovely feast?” Fandrall asked as he suddenly stood beside her, Volstagg being not far behind.   
“Nothing...” Sif snorted and averted her gaze from the vicious girl as not to give away her thoughts.  
“Well, 'nothing' will cause you many wrinkles if you continue to frown like that!” Fandrall jested in order to cheer her up and Sif couldn't help but chuckle and roll her eyes. She thanked the Nine for her good friends.  
“I don't like the lady _______. I can smell trouble on her...” Sif then admitted and once again glared at the other woman standing beside Thor and Odin at the other side of the hall. Fandrall followed her gaze.  
“Is it because she resembles Loki or because Thor is rather fond of her?” The moment he spilled those words, he knew it was a stupid question and Sif's dark expressions confirmed this.

 

Later that night, ______ was standing on one of the many balconies near the great hall, waiting for Thor to return with some refreshments. The chill air cooled her heated skin, her scales glistening in the moon-light, when she suddenly noticed someone else approaching her with quiet but determined footsteps.   
“Oh, lady Sif, it's you...” ______ said warmly but sensed that the other woman wasn't in her best mood. Something was up.  
“Do not pretend to be surprised! I bet those ugly pointy ears could hear me from a mile away!” Sif retorted harshly, her voice obviously affected by alcohol, and ______ instinctively stepped away from the balustrade. Sif wasn't wearing a dress, no, she was in full armor inclusive the sword and probably some other hidden weapons – all the more reason to keep some distance and be alarmed.   
“Since you didn't come for a friendly talk, what do you want, then?” the raven-haired girl asked warily, her emerald eyes watching the warrioress intently, who had consumed way more wine tonight than she should have. Also _____ had enjoyed a few glasses, which dulled her senses, but she was still capable to handle the enraged Sif – at least she hoped so. The dress was a big disadvantage, but it concealed her tail which granted her a moment of surprise should she use it.  
“I know you are somehow linked to Loki, maybe you really are him! I mean just look at you!” Sif's tone had become louder and harsher, every word laced with bitter hate and jealousy. _____ tried not to let them hurt her but that proved to be a quite difficult task. “You are nothing but a doll, nice to look upon, but soon boring and thrown away!”  
“This is about Thor, is it not?” _____ asked and when no reply came she chuckled lightly as her suspicion had been confirmed. Sif was utterly jealous and well, if she wanted to engage in a fight, so be it. It was time that someone cut her short with words.  
“So it is true... The man of your dreams has always been right in front of your nose, but you lacked the courage to tell him. How pathetic!” the younger girl hissed, her eyes glistening dangerously at the other woman who clenched her fists.  
“You dare to call me a coward?!” Sif darted forward, her fist risen and ready to throw the first punch but ______ could dodge to the side just in time. Another punch followed and missed again, so blinded by rage Sif drew a tiny dagger from beneath her leather harness. _______ 's eyes widened when she saw the metal glistening in the moon-light, realizing that things had gotten out of control here. She had merely meant to tease Sif a little but not to fight and hurt her seriously. ______ was about to start reasoning when suddenly someone else interrupted the scene.   


“What is going on here?! Sif?!” Thor's thunder-like voice boomed through the hallway, demanding an immediate answer, as he rushed towards them with large strides. Judging from his stern expressions, the prince was already angry and he would be furious if he saw the dagger for sure. Luckily, Sif had her back turned to him and quickly hid the weapon again before Thor was at her side, looming threateningly above her.  
“Tell me now, Sif!!” Thor almost shouted when he noted the scared look on his beloved girl's face and the obvious tension between the women.  
“We just had a little disagreement.” the girl in the white dress explained when Sif remained silent, trying to calm the Thunderer down. “It's fine, don't worry!” _______ had already calmed down and gently touched the god's arm, preventing him from summoning his hammer. With a smile she looked up at him, showing him that there was no reason to be angry because nothing had happened to her, and eventually Thor came to ease again. Although the girl could hear his heart-beat slow down and steadying, she didn't let go of his arm – just in case – and then Thor placed his other hand on top of hers. The way he looked at _______ made Sif feel sick and thus she ran away without saying another word, her eyes filling with water yet she wouldn't shed a single tear in front of others. She would mourn her broken heart in silence and solitude.  


“Forgive me my behavior...” Thor said when they were alone, feeling ashamed not only for himself but also for his friend. Lately, he had realized that Sif saw more in him than just her ruler but he had ignored and downplayed the situation. His own heart had been too busy dealing with Loki's death, the break-up with Jane and then the encounter with ______, so that he had falsely underestimated the consequences of Sif's unrequited love. “I shall talk to her later what has gotten into her.”  
“No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have teased her...” ______ replied and sighed in relief at the peaceful outcome of the situation.   
“You are too kind.” Thor whispered and suddenly cupped her face with his large hand, lifting it slightly, before he kissed her. Their lips merged passionately while they embraced each other tenderly, and soon this splendid heat blossomed within both lovebirds. Their bodies were so close that ______ could inhale the god's scent as they kissed, his tongue invading her mouth, and she relished in the feeling of being desired by the Thunderer. Desire, yes, that was what she felt for him, a flame she knew couldn't be quenched by kisses and hugs alone. The same was true for Thor, only that he had much less patience, especially in this regard. Throughout his life he had had so many women, but none of them had bewitched him so strongly, none had made him so greedy.  
When their lips parted again, both panted and _______ noted the longing in the god's dark-blue orbs, that special look he had when he stared at her – like when they had accidentally met in the bathroom back on Earth. Now she realized that he had lusted after her the entire time and the thought thrilled her, evoking a shiver of delight within her.  


“Come, my love!” Thor whispered in a husky voice, his large hand enclasping hers and led the beauty in white down a hallway that led away from the feast.

 


	27. Healing Waters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: contains rape/non-con and some violence! Read at own risk!

 Through hallways and corridors, the prince led his beloved girl by her hand, until the large ornamented doors appeared ahead of them. Again, ______ was going to break her vow, that she would never enter those chambers with the god alone, but she didn't care. She wanted this, with all her heart, and thus she stepped inside without further consideration when Thor held the door open for her.   
Slightly shaking due to the anticipation, ______ walked across the salon and into the adjacent bedroom, the large luxurious bed within it matching the status and standards of a crown-prince. Quickly Thor took off his armor and clad in solely his dark blue-grey undertunic and pants he followed the girl.

Soft and comfortable the mattress felt when ______ was pushed onto it by the lips, the Thunderer's hands guiding her safely onto the dark-blue sheets as they kissed. Passionately their lips melted and soon the god won the battle of their tongues, taking dominance over her mouth while one of his hands glided down her side. Eagerly he traced every curve of her lovely figure, feeling the scales beneath the white silk as he brushed over her upper thigh, and when he felt the golden tail wriggling between their feet, Thor shuddered. He needed to see her, all of her. So as he deepened their kiss further, pressing her head against the mattress, carefully as not to crush her with his weight, Thor wondered which parts of her body were covered with scales – and which not. Noting his delight and adoration, _______ shifted beneath him until her scaled legs came forth from under the dress and snaked around the god's waist. And as if that wasn't teasing enough, she wrapped her tail around Thor's broad thigh, squeezing the muscles delicately so that the god above her shuddered once more. In the need to taste more of her body, Thor left her lips and wandered down along her neck, kissing and caressing the skin with occasional use of his teeth.

“You little minx...” Thor whispered huskily into her pointy ear before he nibbled at the shell, eliciting the first moan from her throat – a sound he would provoke so many times tonight. Then she chuckled lightly, her emerald eyes turned towards him as he continued to wander along her collarbone.  
“I thought you liked some teasing!” she purred seductively and pulled the god closer with her legs, lifting her hips to meet with his crotch. Now it was Thor who grunted in anticipation, his loins already on fire and strained, especially at the contact of their hips. With only the thin silk and linen between their bodies, Thor could feel the warmth radiating from her sacred centre and it almost drove him mad to be so close yet still separated. He wanted her, more than anything, and although he had planned to take it slow and be gentle, the wild desire within him was about to overwhelm him and make him break that promise. _So close.._. he thought as he rubbed his lower body against her, the friction spurning his lust, his labored breaths brushing her pointed ear. Again she moaned.

 

________ enjoyed the god's caressing, the sensation of having him so close – his weight on her, his manly scent flooding her nose while his large hot body warmed her – but she was frightened at the same time too. This would be her fist time after all and her inexpertness made her so nervous that she considered to slow down a little. Maybe it was too soon for such an intimate bond. Thus she loosened her legs' grip on him and gently put her hands on his shoulders in order to create distance, feeling the hard muscles beneath her palms.  
“Thor...” she breathed, half-moaning his name, the sound of which ringing delicately in the god's ears, while he kissed her cheek.   
“Yes, love?” his husky voice was heavy laden with desire, causing the girl to shiver.  
“I... I think we shouldn't...” Gods, that words didn't roll off her tongue easily as there was already a splendid heat rising within her. She liked the god – a lot, and she really wanted to be his but she was afraid nevertheless. While her mind rattled with doubts, Thor had skilfully lifted her skirt and his one hand sneaked up her thigh and past her underwear to finally touch her most sensitive spot.   
“I.. I'm not ready!” she added the moment Thor's fingers brushed her nether lips. She gasped. A splendid hot wetness welcomed the god as he massaged her folds, the soft flesh pulsating beneath his touch and when his fingers approached her entrance, the small girl beneath him wriggled. Thor chuckled darkly and lifted his head, his weight propped on his right elbow, to behold the blushing beauty. Her black hair being a mess, her pale cheeks flushed and her eyes opened wide and sparkling in all the sades of green Thor knew, ______ was the most marvelous creature he had ever seen.  
“You are more than ready, my love!” he whispered lowly, his voice rough and burdened with need much like his dark-blue eyes which bore inside hers. When he recognized anxiety in those emerald orbs, Thor halted for a moment and just hovered above her, his determination slightly wavering. All he intended was to show her his affection, to bestow unknown pleasure upon her, but certainly not to hurt her. However, the current look on her face was so arousing, so flattering as it made him feel the dominant god he was. Like when he had loomed above her with his hammer. No. Thor was about to back away and withdraw himself when suddenly the third magic snake within his head kicked in, the spell altering and blurring his mind. And as he stared at the frightened girl, her blushing face and terrified eyes, Thor knew he couldn't stop now, he couldn't let her part from him – he would pursue this hunger raging within him until utter satisfaction. He would make ________ his, and his alone.   
  
The perceptive girl sensed immediately that something about Thor had changed as his expression hardened and his aura seemed to darken. Then there was a brief flash of green sparkling in his usually blue eyes before the god pressed himself down against her, his full weight resting on her now.  
“Thor.. you are crushing me!” she huffed breathlessly but he didn't mind her complaints, instead his one large hand grabbed both of hers and held them above her head, gaining more control. ________ didn't know what had gotten into her lover, but she quickly realized that he wouldn't listen to her anymore. Thus she shifted once more, lifting some weight from her right hip so that her tail was freed. The next moment she had it wrapped around the god's neck, not to strangle him but to push him away from her.   
“Let go off me!” she hissed, her fangs already showing, and tried to free herself from the god's grip with all her strength – in vain as Thor was way to powerful, his grip and weight pinning her down relentlessly. Thor merely smirked darkly at her efforts and held his right hand up in the air. _______'s emerald eyes widened in shock when she saw the hammer appear in said hand, and she held her breath when tiny sparks of thunder surrounded its head, reminding her of how the god had almost killed her. All the fear and the panic of that moment flooded her mind, spurning her on to struggle even more violently. 

“Enough..be still!” Thor commanded and summoned some of his lightning which he passed on to the girl, tiny sparks rushing through her body to paralyze her and break her resistance, the tail loosening and falling onto the mattress. Almost motionless, ________ now lay beneath the god, helpless since she couldn't move one bit. So she had to watch as the triumphantly smirking god ripped her beautiful dress apart until she was fully exposed to him, and embarrassed she had to endure his hungry eyes which roamed over her nakedness. Thor took his time to marvel in her beauty, examining every part of her body while he began to unlace his pants, his impatience making him clumsy at the task. The golden scales didn't cover her front side and the pink hardened nipples of her small breasts stood proudly upwards. Even if she denied it, her body definitely wanted him, the responses being to obvious. The cheeks of her lovely behind were covered in golden scales but her womanly treasure was pink and soft, so inviting as it lay bare in front of the god, his hard throbbing member twitching at the arousing sight. Being unable to move her head, _______ couldn't see the huge pole she was about to absorb, but when Thor suddenly dived down upon her, shoving his full length inside her wet folds and ripping through her virginity, she felt like bursting. His girth stretched her walls tremendously, the pain searing through her head like sharp knives piercing her flesh. Yet she couldn't scream due to the paralyzation. Only whimpers escaped her throat while tears welled up in her eyes. Helpless as never before, she was at the god's mercy and he had only one thing in mind. Vigorously Thor penetrated her, each thrust harder and deeper until she swallowed his shaft up to the root. And while Thor raced towards his climax, engulfed by pure pleasure, _______ cried silently as the seemingly endless stabs of pain continued, her eyes firmly closed to avoid looking at the grunting beast of a god raping her. Driven by desire, Thor even increased his pace when he was close and with a moan loud as thunder he came good and long within her, dirtying her with his seed. For the short moment that he withdrew himself, ________ whimpered as the burning pain lessened a bit, but much to her horror she then felt how two large hands turned her around on the belly, her hips being levitated in a hurtful grip. Again the Thunderer took her, with at least as much force as before, and mercilessly he used her three more times after that, plunging in every hole she possessed to make her truly his, marking her body with his hands and teeth.   


“You are mine!” he repeatedly breathed while he fucked her, the words burning almost as much as the pain each thrust inflicted, and _______ shed all the tears she had.  When Thor plunged inside her one last time, riding on his fifth apex, the girl beneath him was silent, her whole body numb after all the pain. Her eyes were red and swollen as no tear was left to shed. 

“You.. are...mine..”   


Thor retrieved himself and was about to collapse next to her when the girl beneath him moved abruptly. The paralyzation was fading away slowly, and _____ didn't hesitate to use this weak moment of the god – when he relaxed in exhaustion after his spending – to gather all her strength and push him off her. Panting from the effort, she crawled towards the end of the mattress, her limbs aching as did her crotch, but suddenly the god grabbed her by the tail.  


“Stop!” he grumbled, using both hands to pull the girl back towards him as he couldn't let her go in such a state. The magic inside his head still made him very possessive and angry, yet its effect was decreasing so that Thor dimly realized what had happened between them. However, before he could usher an apology or suchlike, _________ landed a nasty kick into his face, the hard vanadium-scales of her foot colliding deftly with his jaw so that he let go of her tail. Gone wild by panic, _______ let her tail whip through the air and successfully sliced Thor's upper thigh, the golden thorn at its end cutting deep into his flesh. The god grunted in pain, his hands flying to the wound, while the girl quickly got up and hobbled away as fast as she could, her hands clasping the remains of the dress around her, the white silk stained with seed and blood. 

Outside she ran down the dark hallway, each step full of agony yet diminishing the paralyzation, and when she heard the Thunderer following behind, she increased speed. With every fiber of her body calling for flight, she raced across the cold marble floor, around corners and through corridors, until a flight of stairs led her to an open room with a terrace beyond which the great lake of Asgard lay. She had come to a dead-end, or so Thor thought, as he caught up to her, despite exhaustion slowing him down considerably. _______ turned around to find her pursuer heading down the stairs behind her and instinctively she climbed over the stone balustrade in front of her. When Thor reached the spot she had already jumped into the cool water so that the god couldn't follow her anymore. She was free.  


“_________!!!” Thor called, his booming voice echoing across the tranquil lake which entered the sea in the distance, yet she was gone already and since she had dived down deep into the dark water, he was unable to trace her. The magic which had poisoned his mind had dissolved and now the hurtful realization struck Thor like one of his lightnings. 

_What have I done?!_


	28. Now that I am gone

The sun was still behind the grand mountains of Asgard, when Odin learned of _______'s disappearance and how it had come to that. After waking him, Thor had admitted his shameful deed with as little details as possible and had received the worst scolding of his father ever. However, Thor knew he deserved it and so he endured the chiding and yelling of the older god while his own conscious nagged at him, threatening to tear him apart.

“This is not to whom I raised you! Your mother and I, haven't we taught you respect and kindness?!” The All-father yelled, the walls of the salon of the king's chambers almost vibrating at his voice. Thor didn't answer though, his gaze glued to the marble floor.  
“You put shame to our name, Thor!!” Odin continued and paced the room in rage until he calmed down a bit and regained his composure. Standing near the window, his one eye looked at the lake below outside, the first rays of sunlight sparkling on its surface, and with a sigh he turned back to his son.  
“I suppose it is best if you leave Asgard for now.” the old king began but Thor immediately protested, breaking his silence. He couldn't leave now, unsure of the girl's wellbeing and whereabouts.  
“No, father! I wish to help searching for _______! Please, I must apologize and amend for what I have done!” Thor's blue eyes were almost pleading – a rare thing to behold – yet Odin wouldn't give in.  
“You would only scare her away further, my son, so that we might never find her. Apologize you must, yes, but at the right time.” the wise king walked over to his son, his hands folded behind his back and his voice still stern.  
“Leave the task of finding her to me and Heimdall, and take your friend to return with him to Midgard!” Thor knew that this wasn't a suggestion but rather a command which he couldn't disobey. Odin was his king after all. Thus he nodded and bowed, already turning to leave when he halted.  
“If you do find her...” Thor looked over his shoulder at his father, meeting his wise grey eye. “...please let me know.”  
“My ravens will find you then.” Odin replied and so the crown-prince left the salon like a beaten dog, his leg hurting and his jaw throbbing, while the bright sun rose above Asgard.

***  
  
Inside the healing-rooms, Steve was already awake and healthy again, only the slight fog in his mind remained which made him feel dizzy and confused. He could't believe that he was on Asgard.  
“Thor, my friend!” he greeted the Thunderer when he approached, smiling warmly at the frustrated god. With the linen bandages all gone, Steve looked quite like his old self again, which was rather surprising. The Asgardian healers argued that Steve's modified human genes were responsible for the quick and successful recovery process, yet they could not predict the damage the scepter had done to his mind. That would show in time.  
“So it is true, I am on Asgard...” Steve stated with a soft chuckle of disbelief as he sat up in bed. “How did I get here? I've asked the nurses already but they won't tell me anything.” Thor sighed in relief, had he feared that his friend would never wake up again. Another nice side-effect was Steve's obvious loss of memories – of their fight at least – so all Thor needed was a fitting lie to avoid further trouble.  
“Well, my friend,... a sickness has befallen your mind through the scepter in Stark's tower and only Asgardian healers could cure you.” Thor lied and tried to avoid the fact that they had fought bitterly and that Steve had come here for ______, as he couldn't bare to admit that he had driven her away. _By now she could be anywhere..._  
“Oh... I can't even remember touching the thing – not even when we secured it from the Hydra base. I was carrying some other artifacts...” Steve replied but drifted off as he tried to remember what had happened next and sighed.  
“What is it?” Thor asked curiously, a spark of hope shining in his eyes. Maybe this would turn out even better than anticipated.  
“I can't remember anything since that day...I mean, not precisely. It's all a blur.” Steve replied in a small voice and the god couldn't believe his ears. Had Steve really forgotten about ______? He had to be sure, thus he pressed the matter further, clearing his voice before he stated his question.  
“Does the name '______' sound familiar to you? Or 'Kitten'?” Thor held his breath as he awaited the reply, exhaling deeply when the mortal shook his head in denial.  
“No, doesn't ring a bell at all.”

***

From the balcony of his chambers, Odin watched as the golden prince and his mortal friend rode across the Rainbow Bridge towards the Bifrost, and smirked cunningly when the beam of light transported them to Midgard. Slowly the king wandered back inside, letting his disguise drop now that he was within safe walls, and allowed himself a glass of splendid wine. Graciously his slender fingers enclasped the golden goblet and brought it to his thin lips, the liquid tasting rich and sweet like he preferred it, and Loki celebrated the success of last night. The feast had been quite nice so that even Loki had enjoyed himself, mainly because of ______'s beauty and her little scene with Sif – having his eyes and ears everywhere, the king had heard about their dispute, about the ugly words that fell, and he would have loved to see it himself. But that hadn't been the best part of the night, no, it had been merely a trigger to speed up the matter. Of course Thor's and _______'s absence hadn't gone unnoticed by the king – also the fact that they didn't return to the feast later on. Despite the distance between the grand hall and the prince's chambers, the Trickster had been able to spy on Thor's mind and catch a glimpse of what he was doing. While sipping at his wine, Loki had patiently waited for the right moment to unleash the third cursed spell he had planted within the Thunderer's head. And the timing was just perfect. Some advisors of the king had then disturbed Odin in his focus so that he had lost the connection to the prince, yet Loki hadn't bothered much as he had trusted in his dear brother's ability to screw things up with _______, especially after this magical push. It had been so easy.  
Loki chuckled darkly at how badly Thor had screwed up this time and let himself fall onto the large beige couch in the salon, relaxing his slender limbs and leaning his head back, his black locks cascading down his shoulder.  
Well, the outcome of the situation was not exactly like he had planned - ______ wasn't supposed to run away – but he would fix that. The more important detail was that now the girl surely hated the blonde god who had so selfishly taken her against her will – this was the basis Loki would build on. And additionally, Thor was out of the way for a while so that the king could pursue his plans without him walking around.  
 _Yes, last night was a success!_ Loki took another gulp of the strong wine before he put the goblet onto the small table beside the couch, and stretched his arms and legs like a cat after a slumber. Then he quickly got up, all excited and enthusiastic about the days to come, and walked towards the doors. It was time he started looking for the spirit of nature.

 

*** _two months later_ ***  
  
Exhausted and covered in dirt, the Thunderer walked into his room inside Stark Tower, put Mjolnir in a corner and slowly began to peel himself out of the stained armor. The final battle against Ultron had cost him much effort and now all he needed was a long hot shower and some decent sleep to regain his powers. Yet his dark thoughts couldn't be recovered so easily. Under the steady stream of water coming from out of the metal above him, Thor closed his eyes and revived the recent battle while he cleaned himself. As always, his thoughts would then drift off to another realm, to the girl he had lost. Thor brushed over the spot where _______ had cut him, feeling the faint scar beneath his fingers, which reminded him every day of what he had done to her. Blinded by his desire, he had lost control and had allowed his nether instincts to reign over him although he had clearly heard her wish to stop. _I have raped her, by the Nine!_ Thor's mind shouted at him and enraged he punched the wall, the tiles cracking and falling off due to the impact. Thor leaned his head against the cool tiles near his fist.  


Weeks, no months, had passed and he hadn't heard a word from his father. Every day he would stare outside the large windows of the tower, hoping to spy a black raven in the distance, but to no avail. A few days past, Thor had tried to call upon Heimdall so that he may help searching, yet the Bifrost remained closed. Obviously, Odin had forbidden his son to return for now so Thor had no other choice than to wait.   
Of course he kept this matter a secret, not speaking a word to his friends here on Midgard, and they all agreed that it would be best not to mention the girl in front of Steve since he had lost all his memories of her. Well, eventually none of the other Avengers dared to speak of her as it would only provoke or sadden the Thunderer unnecessarily.   
The god closed his eyes, while the water still glided down his skin, the wet golden locks falling into his face, and internally he screamed and raged. At least his punishment was just: all he wanted was to see ______ again and apologize – he had given up hope on her forgiveness already – but that simple thing was denied from him. And while he waited, his mind tortured him with images of the joyful moments they had shared, letting him feel a glimps e of the warmth and delight he had felt back then.  However, eventually his dutiful mind would remind him of how he had manhandled and hurt her, how he had regaled in her tender flesh, not stopping although she bled and whimpered  beneath him , until his lusty hunger was satisfied.    


These painful memories followed the god outside the shower and into his dreams, haunting him  like every night, so that Thor knew he wouldn't find piece if he didn't amend for his crime. He needed to find _______.

 


	29. A visitor to a god

In the darkness of his room, the blonde god was finally able to drift off into the depths of slumber when the faint sound of rustling clothes caught his attention. At first, Thor simply rolled over and shrugged the matter off – probably someone walked down the hallway outside. When the sound appeared again, however much closer than before, the there was no doubt that somebody else had to be in his room right now. In one swift movement, the god pulled the blanket aside to swing his legs off the bed, while he threw the pillow towards the dark figure on the other side of the room so that he had time to summon Mjolnir into his hand.

"Show yourself, intruder!" Thor grumbled as he stood in his sweatpants beside the bed and held the hammer up, ready to use it on the enemy who lurked near the wardrobe and the door. When the rather small person turned slowly around and switched the lights on, the god was more than surprised by what he saw.

"Lady Natasha?" Thor's stern face faltered and he instantly lowered his weapon. The red head in front of him frowned at being called a lady and remained very close to the door as Thor noted.

"Sorry to wake you... I thought you were still awake. Anyways, see you tomorrow!" Nat began, trying to omit the reason she came here in the first place, and quickly spun around to leave.

"Tell me Why did you snoop around in my room!" The seriousness in his tone - almost like a command - caused the agent to halt, her hand already on the door knob.  
“I'm lacking a sparrings-partner so I thought I'd ask you, that's all.” Nat replied casually over her shoulder, her mouth twitching slightly when she was finished, yet Thor was not falling for it.   
“I have learned to recognize a lie when I hear one, thanks to Loki, so try again!” Thor grumbled and took a step closer to the woman, his hold on Mjölnir tightening. Why would his friend lie to him?   
Being obviously caught, Natasha had no other choice than to drop her farce and be honest. Maybe then she would get the answers she longed for. _Ha, if it were that easy..._ her mind spat and her lips formed a straight line.  
“Fine. I'm here to find out what really happened to _______!” she began and at the mention of the girl's name, a cold shiver ran down the god's back and a tight knot formed inside his stomach.  
“I have already told you that Odin still requires her presence in Asgard and that she didn't wish to come back here!” Thor's voice was risen since he was becoming rather annoyed by the snoopy agent. He needed to get this topic off the table once and for all. Much to his surprise, the red-head in front of him turned fully around with a sigh, her eyes dropping to the floor briefly before they resumed a cold staring.  
“You know, you're not the only one who can recognize a lie. Seems like we can't do this the nice way.... Well then, Thor...” The movement of her right hand was quick, smooth and purposefully, grabbing at the object she never intended to use on a friend. With the small black gun pointing at the god she added. “Where is ______?!” And with a clicking sound she released the safety catch.

*******

With a loud bang, the large door to the king's private chambers fell shut so that even the guards outside flinched at the noise which mirrored their ruler's recent mood. The search for the spirit of nature had turned out to be much more tiresome and difficult than expected and so far it was nothing but a fruitless mission. The major problem about it was that the spirit managed to hide among nature so well that not even Heimdall could see her exact location. All he could report was that she had to be somewhere between the great mountains and the shore of the sea – or in the sea. Soldiers and skilled hunters had scanned the woods and fields outside the city, had turned every rock and climbed down every cave they found in the mountains, yet ______ was no where to be found. Two and a half month had passed by now and not even a hint of her existence had been discovered, although Odin himself had helped in the search. For a brief moment, Odin's trust in the gatekeeper had wavered but after some rational considerations, he realized that Heimdall had no incentive to hide the girl.   
At least Thor was out of the way and had some troubles on Midgard as Odin knew from Heimdall's reports. The fact that Stark had presumed the right to play creator and fabricated the Avengers' own enemy was truly amusing so that Odin simply had to laugh aloud when he had read the report. _That is the punishment for levitating oneself above a true god. Pathetic mortals..._  
One day in the near future, the Midgardians would learn their place and bow before the superior race of Asgardians, before the king of all realms. However, the key to this fait of the worlds was the spirit of nature herself since without her the battles and wars wouldn't be as easy as they should. Remembering this simple fact, Odin knocked over a small table of the salon and sent the vase upon it flying across the room until it shattered on the marble floor. Still enraged he walked back and forth while he began to put off his armor.  
  
 _Where are you?_ The king wondered when he halted and looked outside the large windows of the balcony, his appearance changing into the younger god again. Deep in his thoughts, Loki watched as the sun dived down towards the mountains in the distance, before he decided to retire for today. Slowly he walked into the adjacent bedroom and peeled himself out of the linen tunic he still wore. The last bright rays of sunlight illuminated the bedroom, which was held in white and gold, so that the golden ornaments and various details of the furniture sparkled and glimmered. Their reflection of the light blinded the king and cursing he used a spell to magically draw the large beige curtains shut. "Odin and his stupid love for the sun!" he spat as he pulled the cream blanket away and climbed into the massive bed. "Why not make the palace walls out of glass so that we can see the sun all day long!" While muttering, Loki adjusted his pillow and tried to find a comfortable position to wait for sleep to grasp him, when suddenly another reflection of sunlight reached his eye. Apparently one of the curtains hadn't remained in place. Again he was irritated by the blinding and so he sat up abruptly, his hand risen to exert another spell for the cursed curtains. "Damned planet, keep ou-" Loki barked but froze in place when he realized what lay before his eyes, for there was no cloth to blame for the blinding this time. It was rather someone much more lively.   


"_________?!" Loki breathed as he stared at the girl he had been frantically searching for and he noted that her lovely form had again changed. With a distinct wipe of his hand the candles arranged inside the bedroom were lit and their light allowed him to have a better look upon her. The golden scales covered the edges of her face now, slightly framing her emerald orbs while her tail had become longer, the thorn at its end transformed into a sharp blade.  "I have heard you are searching for me?" She said in a cocky tone but Loki only watched her intently since, for a brief moment, he had thought her to be an illusion of his mind. But as her voice rang in his ears, he discarded any doubts and joy slowly spread within him instead. With only a dirty piece of linen wrapped around her, the black tangled hair and the claws and fangs she looked much wilder than when they last met, almost dangerous and not like the innocent lady she had been weeks ago. Even the tiny slits of her eyes sparkled in a way that would have scared many grown men - but not the god of course.

"Indeed and you proved to occupy many of my soldiers for quite some time!" Loki finally replied and relaxed a bit more, pulling one knee up and resting his arm upon it. _______'s eyes followed every movement of his and the god sensed the uncomfortable tension in her bones. "Tell me where this special hiding place of yours was which not even Heimdall could find?" he added and leaned forward, eager to receive an answer and ______ chuckled at him. "I have lived among the trees, the flowers and the wild animals. My home was every rock of the mountains and every pearl of water deep down in the sea, only the stars limiting my freedom!" she then said with glistening eyes as she remembered. "Mother nature had embraced me and I merged with her to learn of the realms and all creatures that dwell within them. It was this diffusion that made me invisible to your gatekeeper." she explained and Loki had to admit that he was impressed as not even he had thought of this possibility. In general, the spirits were beings on their own and after a reunion with nature herself, the anew separation required utmost willpower and strength. She had indeed developed, her presence alone was proof of that.

"And why the sudden return then? Did you miss me?" Loki pushed the blanket aside and rose, presenting himself half-naked to the girl, who granted his famous beauty only a quick glance. Nothing would distract her. "No. Now that I know the truth about my people and the crimes of yours, I came for revenge!" ________ bared her fangs as she hissed and Loki froze in place when she was suddenly right in front of him, claws and the golden blade of her tail ready to rip him apart into small pieces.

"I came to end the line of Borr!!” 

 


	30. Truth

"I came to end the line of Borr!" the words still echoed in the god's head but his reflexes forced him to move in time before the enraged woman could hit him. Since he didn't intend to hurt her, Loki refrained from using all his power and instead he skilfully dodged her attacks and aimed at grabbing her hands. Much to his disadvantage, the girl however was not only very fast but she had also her tail lashing fiercely at the god. On his own, Loki had no chance to catch her and thus he summoned one of his illusions to aid him. _______ immediately sensed the man out of green mist behind her and before the clone was fully manifested she turned and cut his throat with the blade of her tail.

"Stop this nuisance and listen!" Loki growled, loosing his patience and also being irritated by the fact that she still fought him. What happened while she was out there in the wild to cause such a drastic change of heart? When _____ turned to face the real god, Loki quickly grabbed both her hands, twisted them so that the girl had to spin around and pressed her against his chest. "Let go!!" she screeched threateningly as she tried to wriggle free from the god's tight grasp - in vain since his divine strength kept her in place. And so she made use of her tail, like Loki had expected her to but also this part of her body was under the god's control since another clone pulled it away from his master. "For the last time: Listen!" Loki repeated in a dangerously calm tone into her pointy ear, his breath tickling her cheek. Then he waited for the girl to stop fighting - which she finally did now that she couldn't move freely - before he continued. "I am not your enemy, _______! Now tell me, why do you intend to kill me?"  ______ hesitated slightly, not sure how to turn this situation to her favor again. But why not confront the god with the crimes she longed to avenge? "Mother nature told me of the cruel fate of my siblings, how your ancestors enslaved and murdered them! The Aesir can't be trusted for they are monsters and murderers!” she finally replied in a harsh and accusing tone. “So I came to take revenge by eliminating the bloodline of the king who initiated the crimes against my kin, starting with you!” Spurned by her own speech, _______ resumed to wriggle and toss in order to regain freedom yet she halted abruptly when ringing laughter filled the royal bedroom.  


“What the ..?! Why are you laughing??” she demanded and looked past her shoulder to the amused god.  
“Forgive me my outburst, but this is truly hilarious!” Loki had almost regained his stern composure again, only the sly smirk plastered across his face betrayed his suddenly joyous mood. As it seemed, his dear spirit didn't know of his origin – a detail of utmost importance which mother nature apparently hadn't informed her about. And exactly that was his chance to win her over once and for all, to make her his loyal allay.  
“Let me tell you that all your efforts of revenge would be for naught if you were to kill me. The line of Borr does not flow in my veins, little one!” Loki whispered into her ear and he enjoyed the shocked expression her face displayed, those emerald eyes widening as they stared at him.  
“Prove it!” she wasn't going to be convinced by words alone, Loki knew that much, and thus he didn't object.  
“Only if you behave nicely from now on and don't fight me!” he requested and after ______ nodded in reply, he slowly loosened his grip around her, also the clone holding the tail vanished.  Loki stepped back a little before he allowed his magical mask to fall off, revealing his true nature. Starting from his eyes, which turned a vivid shade of crimson, his entire skin became blue and adorned by fine scars here and there, until the Aesir was completely gone. From his forehead, two proud black horns came forth, very similar to the ones on his golden helmet. The man standing before her was someone entirely different – at least from the looks – and _____ would have never guessed that the god kept such a secret. Mesmerized by his foreign beauty, she stared at Loki for a while and let her eyes roam over his body, taking in every detail. 

With his crimson orbs he watched her intently, not sure how she would deal with this situation and her equal staring irritated him more than he would like to admit. Never before had he shown his Jotûn form to anybody, not even his beloved mother, and so he felt slightly vulnerable and not like the self-secure god he usually was. But that, of course, he wouldn't show her too.  
“Judging from your reaction, you have never before met a Frost-Giant, haven't you?” Loki asked with a smile, but the girl was too perplexed to answer right away, her attention still focused on this new appearance of his.   
“How is this possible?” she whispered as she suddenly stepped forward and, without permission, touched the lapis lazuli skin of his chest with her hand, her fingers brushing gently across it. Loki inhaled sharply as she did so.  
“A Frost-Giant.... a Jotûn....” Her train of thoughts ripped her from this trance like state and she looked up at the giant, meeting his intense gaze with her own one.  
“Who are you?” Her mind was literally rattling, as Loki could hear her troubled thoughts, and all intentions of harming him seemed to be gone from her pretty head. _Good..._ Loki thought to himself and was glad that his revealing had achieved the desired effect on her. However, her slender hand which remained on his chest was more than confusing, if not off-setting to the god, evoking an emotion he could no name yet. Also, Loki didn't know how to interpret her sudden interest, since there was not only fear but also curiosity and maybe admiration? No, that would be ridiculous. No one in their right mind would regard him pleasing to the eye or even admire him.  


“I am Loki Laufeysson, prince of Jotûnheim.” he began and once again the girl listened intently to his words. “Odin adopted me as an infant, raising me as his own son until I found out the truth of my heritage. He intended to keep me as a bargain chip if the Jotûn should ever again try to start a war against Asgard.”  
_______ pondered over this new bit of information and also by the implications.  
“So you lied to me from the beginning...” she was obviously disappointed but Loki cut her off, trying to dampen her statement.  
“No, I only omitted some details!” and here was his famous smirk back, softening his Jotûn face. “So let me enlighten you to the full version of what happened: I faked my death during the battle on Svartalfheim and stole the throne from Odin while Thor was busy with the Dark Elves.”  


“Don't leave out the details again!” _______ interrupted him impolitely, so that Loki narrowed his crimson eyes before he continued.  
“As you wish! I tricked the old fool by pretending to be his deceased wife, Frigga, and at her sight he fell into the Odin-sleep. Now he rots at a special hidden place, tied to three sharp rocks with the venom of a viper constantly dripping onto his forehead!” Loki replied and the image of the All-Father suffering even widened his smirk.   
“So your goal is revenge too?” ______'s beautiful emerald orbs still lingered on his, and the fear the god could feel inside her earlier had vanished – as had her wild, dangerous attitude. Before he knew what was happening, she had transformed back into the lovely innocent girl he knew her to be, no claws and no fighting.  


“Indeed my heart yearns for revenge! I shall destroy everything the old man stands for and lead Asgard to its former glory, ruling over the Nine Realms!” he proclaimed, his eyes burning with anticipation of the events to follow. Suddenly Loki took her hand in his two bigger ones, enclasping and squeezing it gently.   
“Revenge and justice are exactly what I can offer you and in return I only ask for your loyalty and aid in the battles to come!” he said in a stern yet warm tone, still holding her hand.   
“And what about Thor?” _______ asked, the cursed name leaving a bitter taste on her tongue after it rolled off. Her grudge against the Thunderer was still raging within her and she had to know what Loki's plan had in stall for him. The raven-haired god sensed her tension and uneasiness regarding the blonde brute and thus he assured her:  


“The spirits of nature are bound by oath to serve the king of Asgard. But do not fret, for if you help me achieve my goals and rule over all realms, you will never have to serve Thor, who is the rightful heir to the throne!” Loki then released her hand again and allowed her some space while he transformed back into the Aesir-form, a green tunic also appearing to cover his nudity. In contrast to his true form, this one felt much more comfortable and natural, also if it lacked the giant strength. Loki ran his hand through his raven hair, his now pale fingers a stark contrast to the black.  


“So, what is your answer?” Intently they stared at each other, both weighing their options when _______ suddenly sunk to her knees before him, her head bend down in submission.  
“Teach me how to destroy the Thunderer, my king!”

 


	31. Truth stained with lies

"Last chance, Thor! Tell me the truth about _______ now!" Natasha and Thor hadn't moved for the past ten minutes, neither had his grip on Mjolnir loosened nor had she withdrawn her gun aiming at him. The tension between them was unbearable, threatening to burst the small room. Honestly, Thor really didn't want to spill the details of what happened in Asgard because it would not only bring shame upon his name (even more) but also make him a liar. And that the god never wanted to be.

Yet what choice did he have now? He didn't doubt that the red-head would fire some bullets at him and he knew very well that he couldn't use his hammer against her - if he didn't want her dead, that is. And again, the god was swayed by his friendship to finally give in. Better get it over with once and for all. Thus Thor exhaled deeply while his mind phrased the right words he would usher then. Maybe Natasha could be satisfied by a softer version of the past events. If Thor told her that he had raped the other woman, Natasha would surely empty her magazine of the gun into him, each bullet hitting at a nasty spot.

"_______ didn't return with me because we had a fight..." he began in a low voice. Still, his deed haunted him at night as did the pair of emerald eyes full of hurt and betrayal. For that is what he did: he had lured the black-haired girl into a feeling of security, into the warmth of first-love and then he had exploited her trust in him. Betrayal at its finest. The crown-prince had of course already had many liaisons and affairs, which often ended with a broken heart of the female side, yet never had Thor felt so guilty before. Also, he had never lost control over himself like he did that night with ______, another fact that frightening him since he couldn't explain it. _What in the Nine was wrong with me to force myself upon an innocent girl?!_ Thor wondered as he stared at the wall behind the red-head.

"Why did you fight?" the agent asked sceptically, still holding up the gun, and ripping Thor from his pondering.  
"Well... I do not know where to begin...." This was no lie, yet Nat wouldn't make it too easy for the god.   
"Try at the beginning! What happened after you arrived on Asgard?"  Again the god exhaled deeply before he replied.   
"She had an audience with the All-Father and he informed her about her origin. As I have already told you, ________ is a spirit of nature and born on Asgard. Once fully developed she shall possess great powers, so Odin had asked her to stay and help defend Asgard against its enemies if need be. In return he had helped her to learn to wield some magic."   
"So that part is true heh? Fine. Go on!" Nat commented.   
"After some time passed, _______ and I became friends and together we brought Steve back to his senses when he travelled to Asgard. The scepter had a great influence on his mind and you surely noticed the aftereffects." Thor paused, waiting for the woman to say something that would tell him if she believed his trimmed story. Nat's face fell at the mention of Steve.   
"He doesn't remember her at all... Yet he loved her truly!" She mumbled and Thor couldn't help but feel guilty for that as well. Who knows what the blows of Mjolnir had done in addition to the mortal's brain. _He loved her truly..._. those words stung the god and even now he held a slight grudge against the other male, mainly because Steve's feelings had been much purer than his - without ill intentions perhaps. 

Despite his age, Thor was not selfish enough to let Steve have her and still he wouldn't bare the sight of another man at her side. _How pathetic, to think that I have still some sort of claim on her..._ Thor's mind spat at him bitterly, his jaw clenching and moving to spill some words – saying them more to himself than to his visitor.   
"Maybe his memories will come back one day. ... ______ liked him too but that didn't keep my heart from falling for her." There, he had admitted it, and the words left a bitter sweet taste on his tongue. Natasha was more than surprised to hear such a confession because the god and the raven-haired girl had seemed never to come along.   
"You mean you love her?" she asked then doubtfully, just to make sure she hadn't misunderstood him and Thor only nodded.   
"But she didn't return those feelings and that's why you two had a fight?" the red-head concluded, her eyes narrowed and slowly she finally took the gun down. Slowly she grasped what probably happened between the two.   
"You assume correctly..." Thor replied in a small voice, also dropping his weapon, and was glad that she gave him this opportunity to spare some detail. All in all, it was the fact that _____ didn't love him as much as he had assumed which drove her away. If only he had been more patient...   
"Thus she wished to stay on Asgard - away from me - when I decided to return here together with Steve." the god brushed with one hair through his tousled golden locks, sighing and averting his gaze. The hurt of his heart was plainly visible and with that Natasha's doubts vanished once and for all. She new the look of a heart-broken man fairly well.   
"Thanks for being honest with me, Thor. And I'm really sorry for confronting you like this but.... " Nat's eyes quickly dropped to the floor before they met with Thor's ocean-like orbs. "I'm worried for ______ and I miss her!"  A that the god sunk onto his bed, the mattress bending and shifting under his weight. Staring at the hands in his lap, Thor imagined the black-haired girl, her beautiful face, her warm and coy smile. Would he ever see her again?

"Me too..."

 


	32. The lost son

The booming sound of all the bells of the Asgardian palace announced the Spirit of Nature's arrival at the grand ceremony and every one present turned, craning their necks to see, towards the entrance of the vast throne room. Millions of flowers and garlands decorated the long corridor towards the throne and dozens of servants had scrubbed the marble floor so that everything sparkled in the bright midday sun. Chatting and whispering, the crowd had impatiently awaited the beginning of the ceremony and when Odin had finally risen from his throne, stomping with his spear Gugnir, everyone had fell silent, only the ringing of the bells being audible.

Full of confidence and proud of herself, _________ strode along the ruby red carpet, each step gracious and determined. Today she presented herself to the people of Asgard as their heroine, their future ally and not as a simple lady. That is why she chose to wear an armor, a special one that is: it consisted of only a harness that reached half way down her thigh, the back being low cut, covering those parts of her body which were not scaled while allowing for as much freedom to move as possible. Underneath she wore very short black leather pants, which were scarcely longer than the harness above. The whole light-armor was made out of black hardened-steel, shaped like scales to match her own, and the outfit gave her a very alluring and dangerous look. With her long golden tail swaying behind her as she walked, _______ approached the throne where Odin was waiting and upon reaching him she bowed low before him. The All-Father wore his typical solemn expression, his one grey eye resting on the woman at the bottom of the few stairs leading up to him. After so many years of pain, of failure, this plan had worked out rather splendidly. Finally, the moment Loki had been waiting for had arrived.   


“Dear people of Asgard!” the old god began in his booming voice, drawing all the attention. “Today we all gathered here to witness an outstanding event in the history of our realm! For hundreds of years, the children of mother nature had been thought extinguished, their valuable powers to be lost to us forever.” Odin's gaze roamed over the listening crowd before it fell to the marble floor in front of him. A dramaturgic play to increase the credibility of his acting. Now the sad, frail voice. “Just as my second son.”  


________ quickly glanced up at those words, not sure where this was leading. _What's Loki doing?_ She thought to herself as she watched him, her eyes noting that something was amiss about him. As if he wasn't all himself today. “But our beliefs proved to be wrong, in both regards!” the king continued while the crowd began whispering and stirring. What was he implying? Yet the All-Father didn't give them much time to ponder, rising his free arm in delight.  
“Today, we celebrate the return of my heir!”  With another stomp of Gungnir, the large double doors to the throne room opened once again and revealed the person no one had expected to appear.

Clad in his finest battle armor, the golden breast plate on top of the black and green leather sparkling as he walked, Loki Odinsson stepped over the threshold. Time seemed to have slowed down as he made his way to the throne and the raven-haired man enjoyed every second of his march of triumph. The gaping crowd was greeted by him with a sassy smile and many of them still couldn't comprehend what they saw, their stunned faces turning as he passed. Graciously as ever, Loki bowed before his king when he arrived beside ________, who couldn't hide her amazement either, her eyes roaming quickly over him. He had stolen everyone's show and was truly radiating today. “Since my eldest son Thor has refused to inherit my legacy, it is your turn to carry the weight of the crown!” The All-Father lifted the heavy golden spear and brought it downwards so that the tip slightly touched the top of the younger god's head. Loki closed his eyes, relishing in the moment, and exhaled deeply. It was then that _______ realized that the real god knelt beside her while an illusion had the honor of playing Odin, crowning his maker king. “I hereby proclaim you king of Asgard and protector of the Nine!” Odin called and from the tip of Gungnir a magic glow covered the Trickster from head to toe. Then a long cape out of dark green velvet materialized on his shoulders, its end reaching far behind on the floor.

Loki rose then and ascended the few steps to be on the same level as his father and for a few seconds they just stared at each other. Still stunned by the turn of events, the people of Asgard just watched their royals without commenting. Who would have expected this ceremony to become a coronation? 

At last, Odin handed his son the spear, Gungnir, the sign of power and Loki solemnly took it, his hand firmly gripping the shaft, and turned to the court for everyone to see their new ruler. His eyes rested on Gungnir for a little longer, realizing that this was actually happening, before he looked at the vast crowd of subjects who knelt down immediately. “Hail king Loki!” Odin cheered, the crowd following his example as did _______, their voices echoing through the throne room and beyond.   
“Hail king Loki!”   
“Hail king Loki!”

Delight washed over the god at that, his smile widening, and self-confidently he held up the spear, the gold sparkling vigorously in the sunlight. _________ beheld her new king in his moment of glory and triumph, his genuine smile radiating with joy. He had never been more handsome to her eyes. When the cheering died away, Loki motioned with his free hand for the crowd to rise again.  “Asgard stands now under my protection and care, which I promise to ensure throughout my regency!” he began but then paused and pointed towards _______. “Thus I ask you, Spirit of Nature, to help me in my cause – not as a slave but as a valuable allay! If you are willing then pledge your service to me now!” Loki looked deep into the girl's eyes, emerald orbs meeting each other in an intense gaze. ________ delayed her answer for a few seconds, reconsidering everything that had happened in her short life, every moment of joy and pain, before she knelt down.

“To Mother Nature and the Nine Realms, I swear to serve Asgard with all my might and I hereby pledge my loyalty solely to you, my king!” A slight pleasant thrill ran down his spine at her last words, and Loki's smirk became a tad darker at the prospect of what ______ and he would achieve.

 


	33. Progress on all levels

Shortly after the coronation ceremony, the new king spread some news regarding his absence via public announcements. The people of Asgard were supposed know that Loki had been forgiven his deeds on Midgard because of his heroism in the battle against the Dark Elves. In contrast to public belief, however, he had barely escaped death's grip on Svartalfheim and for his own safety the prince had been recovering in secrecy, away from everyone's knowledge. With the throne being finally his, Loki now arranged that Odin withdrew himself more and more from the court and the daily politics so that eventually the Trickster would be able to easily install his passing in the future. The illusion of Odin Borrson would die of old age while his real persona was rotting slowly in a special place only Loki knew.

Smirking at the prospect, Loki opened his eyes and rolled over in his massive bed which was filled with pretty girls, their naked forms entwined with each other as they slept. After freeing himself from some hands, the new king slowly rose, wrapped himself up in some wrinkled clothes and walked over to the open balcony. The late morning sun greeted the monarch with its hot rays and Loki blinked a few times until he was able to behold the activities happening down in the gardens. 

_________ was helping the palace gardeners to tend to the vast variety of flowers and plants, training her own magical skills by doing so. Due to her direct link to nature, she knew exactly how to treat each plant and with her magic she managed to improve the beauty of the already outstanding garden. Loki watched her touching the flowers, her hands gently caressing the soft petals in an affectionate manner and transferring some magic into the plant. She looked very happy and content when ever she worked in the gardens, her whole being radiating and beautiful. 

Loki suddenly caught himself imagining how her slender hands would feel upon his skin, envying the plant a little. He then remembered how she had brushed over his chest once, admiring his Jotûn-form.... He shook his head, ridding himself of those thoughts and walked back inside. A hot bath would cleanse away the dirt from last night and clear his head again.

***

In contrast to her kind behavior when in the gardens, ________ was a merciless fighter and tough opponent on the training grounds. Many fine warriors of the king's guard got to experience that at first hand, each of the larger males kissing the ground sooner or later. And she hadn't even used her magical skills to defeat them. This part of her power was trained separately from the physics in private lessons from the king himself. For that purpose, Loki had reinstalled the old training grounds hidden in the thicket of the small forest within the palace where they could practice away from prying eyes.

In the past few weeks since her return, ______ had been given lessons by the king here, specifically designed to train her in defeating a god. More than once, the young spirit had to spar with one of the Trickster's illusions which where shaped in the image of a random Asgardian warrior.  Today's, however, the task for the girl was to fight against an illusion of the Thunderer himself which was quite close to the original in his moves and ways of attacking. Loki stood at the side of the sparring area under the shadows of the trees, his arms folded across his chest, as he watched the fight. This time he had put quite an effort into crafting the illusion so that ________ could face a real-as-possible opponent and train to slay the god, learn his weaknesses and strategies to exploit them. 

And from having fought countless times with (or against) Thor, Loki was aware of all the weak spots and gladly passed his knowledge on to the girl. The hot midday sun shone down upon the sandy ground where 'Thor' and ______ battled each other fiercely, both having landed some nasty hits on the other. Yet ______ wouldn't give up easily, knowing that her wish for revenge demanded such a hard and hurtful training. If she intended to have a chance against the Thunderer she ought to beat his illusion with ease. So she dashed forward again and attacked with her magic, faster and more determined than before, and Loki's eyes followed her every move, never tiring of looking at the wild beauty. With her elongated teeth and claws she looked like a predator, a dangerous creature not to be messed with, and the raven-haired god marveled in the sight since he too contained such a raw nature. Merely moments later, the fight was over and he was slightly surprised to see his illusion being defeated once again, the scaled tail wrapped around 'Thor's' torso and the golden blade at its end pressed against his throat – a sight worth being captured on a painting. With a terrifying calm expression, ______ stood behind the kneeling god, gripping a fistful of the blonde locks and pulling his head back. Loki inhaled sharply when she slit across the thin skin of 'Thor's' throat, cutting deep into the flesh. The illusion vanished into green mist then, leaving the girl alone on the sand.

Some seconds passed in silence of admiration before the king found some words. Her rational, cold and almost haughty attitude today caused a slight shiver at the back of his neck.

“Wonderful, we made progress as it seems!” Loki exclaimed joyfully as he approached her and ______ smiled over to him, her fangs already hidden again. All gone was the predator, nevertheless, Loki couldn't keep his eyes off her while she brushed some sand out of her hair, her slender golden hand trailing gently through the strands of black. Her emerald eyes were half-lidded while she did so.   
“I have to be quicker... Tomorrow we should try again!” _______ declared prosaically and her smile faded. Obviously she wasn't satisfied with her own skills yet and intended to hone them further. She wouldn't take any chances when facing the real Thunderer in battle. Loki hadn't confided every detail of his plan in her but she knew her day for revenge would come.  
“As you wish. But do not strain yourself, my dear!” the raven-haired king replied casually, his arms folded on his back. “Besides, you did improve compared to last week-” Loki tried to cheer her up – for unknown reasons he didn't bother about – yet the girl wouldn't let him finish.

“Loki, I'm serious!” she stated clearly, meeting his gaze nonchalantly in a very provoking manner and the god couldn't shake off the feeling that those emerald eyes of hers were looking directly at his soul. Thus he didn't scold her for addressing him so informally, in fact, he approved of the way his name rolled off her tongue. “If I'm to defeat the Thunderer I must train as hard as possible! This could be my only chance for revenge and I will certainly not let that slip and fail!” _______ still didn't avoid her gaze and Loki was fascinated by both her courage and determinedness to end his brother's life – attitudes of her he hadn't imagined even in his most audacious dreams.  


_______ waited impatiently for the god's reply, her eyes searching his emerald pools, while a spark of fear crossed her expressions.  
“________---” Loki put his hands on both her shoulders, the golden scales feeling warm under his skin. “I will stand behind you in the battle against Thor. He needs to be brought to justice for the crimes he did to you and I promise...” The king's right hand slid from her shoulder to cup her face in an affectionate manner. Too affectionate for every etiquette existent. However, the girl didn't move and allowed him this gesture of caring – or so she interpreted it – while the god smiled warmly down upon her. 

“...I will not let him hurt you ever again.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed reading the story so far! Please give me some feedback :)


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